Steinbrenner State of Mind

We’ve talked to some Yankee fans who are closer to the whole situation then we are; and by closer we mean they’re from Connecticut. They seem to agree with us when we say we get the feeling that George Steinbrenner isn’t doing so well health-wise. Sad but probably true, as a baseball fan who is watching from afar; it’s pretty obvious that George Steinbrenner’s health is going downhill.

One thing is that Steinbrenner isn’t as visible. It’s a huge production now when he’s going to be at the stadium and on hand for a Yankees game. It’s an anouncement, an event. To our knowledge it used to be an everyday occurence. Notice how little he comes out in the media and actually speaks. When he does it’s national sports news.

From the AP:

Once he was omnipresent at Yankee Stadium, micromanaging so much that World Series tickets could not be sent out until he revised the seating charts in his office. He raged at his players and celebrated them with equal gusto.

Now George Steinbrenner is 79 and frail. Still the owner but no longer the leader of his beloved Yankees, he saw just three regular-season games this season.

But he’s coming back to New York just for the Series, and the Yankees can’t wait.

“We’re trying to do this for pops, Mr. Steinbrenner,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

That sure sounds like the Yankees know it could be big George’s last World Series doesn’t it? Let’s be honest, if it takes the Yankees another five years to get back to their next World Series, this is without a doubt Steinbrenner’s last senile World Series; if not his last overall.

The point of this is, the Yankees are going to fight hard for their icon. He’s been as much of a symbol of the Yankee franchise as the “NY” on the cap. He is the most powerful owner in our sports lifetime. This is in many ways, the end of an era. The last ride for a magnificent cowboy.

When you see the Yankees take the field tonight, they’re trying to win one for George. That makes them all the more dangerous. While it might not make it hard to root against the Yankees, we certainly wouldn’t bet against them.