George Steinbrenner

This is a preemptive article. I don't know when the next "What would George Steinbrenner do?" lamentation is going to come. Or why, for that matter.

What I do know is that we certainly haven't heard the end of these lamentations. I also know that the question itself is all wrong. It's not what The Boss would do.

"No" is not a familiar word heard in the New York Yankees front office.

General manager Brian Cashman has the resources to woo players to come play in the Bronx, so what happened this offseason?

It has to be expected that the Yankees sans Mr. George Steinbrenner lost a little bit of their appeal.

George Steinbrenner was more than a mere baseball mogul. For better or worse, his time at the top of the New York Yankees ladder changed the game forever. During the latter years of the Steinbrenner era, as the landscape became the free market free-for-all Steinbrenner so encouraged during the first two decades of free agency, the Yankees became a symbol, an empire that ruled baseball with an iron (golden) fist.

Baseball lost many this year, some big names and some not-so-big.  Here is a farewell to some of the stars of the American Pastime who left us this year.

Starting with the biggest name of all...

George Steinbrenner: 07/04/1930 to 07/13/2010

Also known as "The Boss."

I have no problem with sports figures who are the personality equivalent of a stiff drink. Ted Williams is one of my all-time favorites. To me, Bobby Knight is a genius coach. If I shut down the moral center of my brain, I can even appreciate Kobe Bryant and Ty Cobb for their statistics and work ethic.

The year was 2002.  The city was New York.  The beloved New York Yankees, having just endured a heartbreaking loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the previous World Series, looked to regain their stride by signing valuable free agents.  Among these free agents were first baseman Jason Giambi, a guaranteed home run hitter who had gained rock star status in Oakland in recent years, and pitcher Mike Mussina, who General Manag

The Baseball Hall of Fame's Veteran's Committee will vote on Dec. 5 to select any players, executives or other baseball personnel who have contributed sufficiently to the game since 1973 to merit induction. As it happens, 1973 was the year George Steinbrenner bought the New York Yankees. Though Steinbrenner died in July, his son Hal remains chairman of the Yankees today.

It was only a couple weeks ago when many experts had the New York Yankees as a lock to make it to the World Series and defend their title. Unfortunately, for the Yankee faithful, no one told the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers have certainly not been intimidated by the Yankees bloated payroll and 27 World Series titles. They haven't been phased by their previous nine losses in ten postseason games to the Yankees before this season. The 2010 Texas Rangers are not your daddy's Texas Rangers.

Purity of the game means passion and joy when on the field. It means players would be there competing even if there was no money involved.  Purists dream baseball, and live baseball when they are not near a field.   Baseball is who they are.  

I am the George Steinbrenner Plaque.

I am 760 pounds of solid bronze living in my new digs in Monument Park.  I’m seven feet wide, wider than CC Sabathia is tall. And I’m five feet tall, taller than CC Sabathia is wide.