George Steinbrenner

This past Monday, the New York Yankees unveiled the largest plaque ever displayed in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium, a seven-by-five-foot, 760-pound monument dedicated to the Yankees long-time owner, George Steinbrenner, towers over the plaques dedicated to Yankee legends Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio.

Some people believe that the monument is too large. Others believe that the plaque is appropriate.

Let's start with a serious question today: Should Monument Park be renamed STEINBRENNER SHRINE (& Assorted Other Dead Guys)?

I'm not even joking. Babe Ruth has been dethroned as the biggest star in the cave tucked beneath Mohegan Sun's bar, and he's been replaced by a guy who a) never played a game, b) had a male F.U.P.A., and c) exclusively wore white turtlenecks.

This actually happened.

In one line I will say this: Anything but a World Series in the year of the loss of George M. Steinbrenner, would be a disappointment. 

Via the NY Post:

Joe Torre and Don Mattingly will attend the unveiling of George Steinbrenner’s monument in Monument Park, according to multiple people with knowledge of the names who will be on hand at Yankee Stadium.

This past week, Major League Baseball witnessed one of the best three-game, going-for-the-division slug fests in history.  Three one-run games.  Two extra inning games.  Cy Young caliber pitching.  Heavy hitting.  Seven lead changes.

The New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays clash featured playoff-caliber baseball, a preview of next week's four game set in New York, and a preview of the potential ALCS opponents. 

Before inter-league play, the New York Yankees played the New York Mets in an annual exhibition game for the Mayor's Trophy. The proceeds went to charity, usually sandlot baseball.

Players on both teams didn't care much about winning the game. It was, after all, merely an exhibition game, but for the fans, it was much more, especially for one Yankees' fan.

George M. Steinbrenner became the principle owner of what had become New York's "other" team in 1973. His primary goal was to change that, which meant the Yankees had to be better than the Mets.

On a night when hearts were heavy and tears were plentiful, the New York Yankees Nick Swisher capped a momentous evening with a single in the bottom of the 9th inning. The single, Swisher's third hit of the night, scored Curtis Granderson with the winning run in a 5-4 victory at Yankee Stadium--the House the Boss Built.

Yankee Stadium, both the Old and the New, has seen its fair share of dramatics.

On Friday night, Yankee lore honored the passing of two great men that meant much more to the Yankee franchise and the game of baseball than can ever be expressed in words.

Thursday afternoon, designs for the commemorative patches to honor Yankee Principal Owner George Steinbrenner and long-time Public Address Announcer Bob Sheppard were released. Friday evening, they made their debut.

I am dead set against free agency. It can ruin baseball. —George Steinbrenner

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner passed away at the age of 80 this week. When one thinks of "The Boss," numerous associations come to mind. Managerial firings, suspensions from baseball, illegal campaign contributions and his Seinfeld caricature.

Yet his lasting legacy will undoubtedly be related to free-agent spending.

We begin the season's second half tonight living in a post-Boss world, and I for one am a little uneasy about it.

We heard from Hal Steinbrenner's people on Thursday that the family doesn't plan on selling the Yankees. But since Hal kind of looks like a bad guy from an Eighties ski movie, I'm not quite buying it just yet.

A sample conversation: