Opinion

This will be quick.

Caught word today of some potential specifics regarding the rumored "seriousness" of the Tampa Bay Rays' interest in acquiring Milwaukee Brewers right-fielder, and 2010 All-Star starter, Corey Hart.

As everyone knows, the Brewers are looking for pitching in return for moving any pieces right now. Well, the Rays are said to be offering that and another piece.

The excitement of tonight's All-Star Game in Anaheim has been somewhat silenced with the passings of Yankees announcer Bob Sheppard and today's announcement of the death of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

Even with the Mid-Summer Classic happening across the country, the baseball world sympathizes with the New York Yankees.

However, the city of Los Angeles, mainly the Angels organization, still has a heavy heart and a fresh wound from the loss of pitcher Nick Adenhart last season.

In the same week, the New York Yankees have suffered two heart breaking losses. The first to pass away was long time public address announcer Bob Sheppard, at 99 years old.

Sheppard passed away on July 11th, and two days later long time Yankees owner George Steinbrenner followed him. Heading into the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star break, Yankee fans and the organization will have heavy hearts.

Remembering the life of George Steinbrenner is a monumental challenge. Steinbrenner lived a full life that was not just confined to being the owner of the Yankees.

The New York Yankees sent seven players to Angel Stadium for the All-Star game. This past week they've sent two legends to Angel heaven. Baseball lost a legend today and he's looking down on us now.

The problem is, most people looked down on him during his ownership career that began in 1973. What a career it was. As a young Yankees fan I sit here and try to write this but something doesn't feel right. As I watch current players Andy Pettite and Alex Rodriguez along with current coach Joe Girardi speak about Mr. Steinbrenner's passing one thing stands out to me.

The cries are audible. "In my day, the All-Star game meant something." Baseball purists hearken back to the days of yore when the All-Star game stood on its own merit. The players hustled, the nation stopped to watch.

For various reasons, that just wasn't the case anymore until the past few years. An embarrassing tie game in 2002 led to Bud Selig's decision to attach meaning to the "Midsummer Classic."

I never liked George Steinbrenner.  As a fan of a different team in the AL East, it was virtually impossible to like the man who helped keep every other team in that division out of the playoffs.

I also could never hate him.  If anything, I was jealous.  Who wouldn't want all those championships sitting in a case in their stadium?

No, there was only one true feeling I had for "The Boss":

Respect.

New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner has died in Tampa, Florida at the age of 80.

Though one of the most despised, controversial, and notorious owners in the long history of Major League Baseball, Steinbrenner must also be remembered as one of the greats, a giant amongst men.

During Steinbrenner's tenure, the Yankees captured 11 pennants and seven World Series championships.

As the Red Sox No. 1 fan I was obviously enthused to watch as David Ortiz became the first member of the Boston Red Sox to win the Home Run Derby last night; but, truth be told, I was more delighted the rest of the world got to see the vintage “Big Papi” many of us have come to love over the last several years.Sadly, that guy was missing early this year as David struggled for the second straight spring and many supposed fans and baseball writers called for him to be exiled from Boston.

If I win the lottery, I want to buy a sports team.

Be it the Orlando Titans, the Orlando Predators, an MLS franchise or, if I had the money, the Orlando Magic.

And I would invest all my money to make them the greatest team ever.

Just like George Steinbrenner.

In 1973, George Steinbrenner did what every die-hard sports fan wishes they could do. He used the fortune he made in his father's shipping business and bought his favorite team. That team happened to be the New York Yankees.

Not by himself initially, but eventually, he would own it all.