Daniel Paulling

George Steinbrenner III finally retired from baseball, leaving his position as owner/meddler of affairs for the New York Yankees to his son Hal Steinbrenner. The elder Steinbrenner brought an edict to the Yankees to do nothing but win. (It may seem surprising with that mandate looming over them that the Yankees only won six World Championships during Steinbrenner’s 35 years at the helm.)

But Steinbrenner brought so much more to baseball. He was the greatest owner in the sport. Now, you Yankee haters may be thinking, “Steinbrenner only bought the best players. How does that make him a great owner?” But that’s exactly what made him great.

Steinbrenner cared more than any owner about his team. He was willing to open his pocketbook to chase the best players. His moves may not have been the wisest at times, but the fact that he was willing to re-invest in his team was worthy of recognition. There are many owners out there who couldn’t care less about spending more money on their team. Just look to Miami or Minnesota or pretty much any team owned by a corporation. Profits are all that matter to them. Winning is all that mattered to Steinbrenner.

Steinbrenner will always be remembered in Yankee baseball. Starting next season, the Yankees will be playing in a brand-new, state-of-the-art ballpark that should support the team financially very well. Steinbrenner also helped start YES, the Yankees’ broadcasting network. He left the Yankees in a much better fiscal position than when he joined the team all those years ago.

It’s a shame that someone who cares so much about his team, someone who poured his life and money into a cause, is finally leaving the game. Steinbrenner will be hated by some and loved by others. If only other owners could just follow his example.

Steinbrenner Exit Good for Yankees
By Jonathan Leshanski

George Steinbrenner’s tenure as the head of the Yankees family was a great one, but all good things must come to an end.  Over the past few years, it’s been clear that the Boss has been declining both in health and in alertness.  His stumbling speech and apparent confusion has been sad to see.

While the naming of Hal Steinbrenner as the individual to take over the Yankees came as a bit of a surprise and may be indicative of a family squabble, it does offer the team a degree of stability which this franchise desperately needs at the moment.   That is because now that Hal has been confirmed by MLB’s owners as the man in charge of the Yankees, no family feud, or squabble will allow George or any other member of the family to displace him without their consent.

That will help the Yankees plan a coherent course not just for 2009 but for the future.  That’s good for the franchise and good for the game.

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