Son of Boss on the warpath
The fourth-place, 8.5-games-out-in-the-wild-card New York Yankees are teetering toward irrelevancy, but Hank Steinbrenner's blustering never ceases to entertain. Steinbrenner tells the Bergen Record, among other things, that there will be no more "trying to keep everybody happy" when it comes to signing free agents. "If I want somebody, I'm going after him."
A few more excerpts from Peter Caldera's story:
Immediately after the season, Steinbrenner plans to review the entire organization. “Just as my dad would have,” he said, adding that George Steinbrenner has equally been dismayed by the Yankees’ fourth-place standing. “It’s been a very disappointing year for both of us.“Other people might tend to look at [the Yankees] more like a business, and as long as business-wise [the club is profitable] everybody’s happy. But we don’t see it like that.”
To restore the Yankees into a World Series contender, “We’ve got major work to do, there’s no question,” Hank Steinbrenner said.
Asked if general manager Brian Cashman would continue to spearhead the baseball operation beyond his contract expiration next month, Steinbrenner said, “I think both parties still have to decide.
And later, Hank shows no fear of pursuing aging pitchers:
Potentially, the Yankees would have to replace their No. 3 hitter, fill the first base opening (possibly internally with Jorge Posada), and bolster the rotation. But money won’t be an obstacle for any player Steinbrenner desires — even with the inherent, long-term risks for a veteran pitcher.“The Mets did it with Santana, and I came damn close to doing it with Santana,” Steinbrenner said of the trade he advocated last winter with Minnesota. “You look at it on a player-to-player basis, and you look at the market.”
The injury histories of Ben Sheets,and A.J. Burnett, two top potential free agent starters, complicate a long-term commitment. Steinbrenner believes he already has two top starters in Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain, and was extremely complimentary of Mussina’s 17-win season at age 39.
“You look at what [Mussina] did, and if everybody else had been healthy ... you get an idea of what we could have had,” Steinbrenner said.
A part of Steinbrenner still wonders whether he should have insisted on Santana, too.
“[Would] Santana have made enough of a difference with all our injuries [this year]? I don’t know,” Steinbrenner said. “It certainly would have made us a lot closer.”
Just tremendous. In other AL East news, the smokin' hot Blue Jays won again last night. That makes 12 of 13 for them. They're now 6.5 games back in the wild card, meaning if they win 3 of 4 or sweep the four-game series at Fenway Park this weekend, we've got a race.
The Minnesota Twins lost last night, putting them 5.5 back, only a game ahead of Toronto. The Sox' magic number for the wild card is now 12.
All hot air, no balloon.
The Yankees are in FOURTH place, not third. I wouldn't normally point out a mistake on a blog, but it feels good to say that they're in FOURTH place.
As a Sox fan, I love to hear the words Joba and Starter together....Hank needs to fire himself...any fan of the game realizes that Mo is done and they need to nurture Joba into his role....
Mm..Hank also said that if A-Fraud opted out he wouldnt absolutely not come back. Hahaha. Smoke another one Hank and keep talking. Everything that comes out of your mouth makes you sound more like an idiot
Adam, get your facts straight! The Yankees are in FOURTH place, not third. It even says so in the 1st paragraph from Peter's story. Bad journalism there bud.
Adam, get your facts straight! The Yankees are in FOURTH place, not third. It even says so in the 1st paragraph from Peter's story. Bad journalism there bud.
Hey, Mister Snitch, no one like a snitch so I wouldn't be using that as a moniker.
Would like to send any early congrats to the Yanks for many more years of being irrevlevant. Hey Hank, I heard Hideki Irabu is back out on the market
Would like to send any early congrats to the Yanks for many more years of being irrevlevant. Hey Hank, I heard Hideki Irabu is back out on the market
I love how Steinbrener keeps whining about injuries being the reason for the Yankee's failure this season. That's just BS. Sure they lost Wang, Posada, Chamberlin, and Matsui at points this season, but the Red Sox have lost Ortiz, JD Drew, Ellsbury, Manny (trade), and Beckett and have played well without whining about injuries. It's part of the game. The problem with the Yankees is their depth. Their team is old and they have done nothing to get younger.
Fourth. The Yankees are in fourth.
I'm so sick of listening to him cry about Yankee injuries while dismissing the fact that every other team has had injuries and some nearly as bad as the Yankees. As long as he is upset about their plight why not just admit they weren't deep enough to overcome the injuries, and why not mention that absolutely NOBODY stepped up.
Fourth. The Yankees are in fourth.
Thanks everyone for pointing the error. Really, really, really, really dumb mistake by me. That's what happens to sportswriters who try to write before 10 a.m. Our brains don't start working that early. (Or ever, some people might argue.)
I love how Steinbrener keeps whining about injuries being the reason for the Yankee's failure this season. That's just BS. Sure they lost Wang, Posada, Chamberlin, and Matsui at points this season, but the Red Sox have lost Ortiz, JD Drew, Ellsbury, Manny (trade), and Beckett and have played well without whining about injuries. It's part of the game. The problem with the Yankees is their depth. Their team is old and they have done nothing to get younger.
Hank should read more and talk less. Anyone who read the great book about the fall of the Yankees dynasty (after the heartbreaking game 7 loss in Arizona, the boss storming into the locker room and saying "there will be changes around here!" as if his team hadn't just come an inning away from winning five titles in SIX years?!) knows how the Yanks succeeded and how they failed, both in this decade and in the 1980s through mid 1990s. High-priced free agents. When The boss was banned, for the first time Gene Michael and others were allowed to build a TEAM not a roster, mostly from within. Jeter, Posada, Rivera joined clutch guys (not superstars) like Girardi, Tino, Paul ONeil, Scott Brosius to form a core. Then key guys were added (Dave Justice, Roger Clemens, many others) to form a dynasty. Cashman knows this better than anyone, but Hank is determined to make splashy deals, spend too much with the same result. Hello Yanks of the 1980s!
Hank is the best player on the Red Sox team. They should send him a jersy with his name on it.
The Rays and Red Sox are the battle of the next couple of years (The Rays won't have the money to keep their team in tact, ala the Marlins) and probably the Red Sox and Jays will have some battles, all while the Yanks make big moves and blow up, just as they did this year.
PS Adam, if you guys refreshed the comments more than once every few hours, you wouldn't have nine guys pointing out your errors? Just a thought.
Hank, get a clue ... & have another box of donuts!
Every team has had injuries this year including some of the best players on the Red Sox & Rays, yet we're still headed for the playoffs. Stop using the injuries as an excuse ... your teams suc!
Hank, get a clue ... & have another box of donuts!
Every team has had injuries this year including some of the best players on the Red Sox & Rays, yet we're still headed for the playoffs. Stop using the injuries as an excuse ... your team suc!s
Hank is so blinded about why the Yankees have struggled. The reason the Yankees are failures is because the team is too old. The Yankees for the last few years have traded their farm systems for big shot, expensive players who are only used as quick fixes. The Yankees approach was, win now and deal with the future later. The future has come now and see how it turned out so far? If they want to win again, they need to do what the Red Sox have done. Hank has whinned about injuries but the Red Sox and Rays (who both will make the playoffs) have had plenty injuries of their own. The only difference is those teams had talented players from the minors fill in for the injured starters and do did really well. Tha Yankees have none of that. All teams have had injuries to deal with, not just the Yankees.
Hank need
Hank is so blinded about why the Yankees have struggled. The reason the Yankees are failures is because the team is too old. The Yankees for the last few years have traded their farm systems for big shot, expensive players who are only used as quick fixes. The Yankees approach was, win now and deal with the future later. The future has come now and see how it turned out so far? If they want to win again, they need to do what the Red Sox have done. Hank has whinned about injuries but the Red Sox and Rays (who both will make the playoffs) have had plenty injuries of their own. The only difference is those teams had talented players from the minors fill in for the injured starters and do did really well. Tha Yankees have none of that. All teams have had injuries to deal with, not just the Yankees.
Hank need
It never get’s old “the Yankees are in fourth”
As for Hank he's as ignorant as they come, excuses, excuses....someone please give him some cheese to go with the wining........advice for Brian Cashman run………run.
But it’s funny, how at the beginning of the year they didn’t want Mussina, now he’s praising him. Since he’s going after free agents and “If I want somebody, I'm going after him" well then listen to your own advice, Damon worked out so well, Hank should offer him another multi year contract, after all isn’t he a free agent at the end of the season?....hahaha
It never get’s old “the Yankees are in fourth”
As for Hank he's as ignorant as they come, excuses, excuses....someone please give him some cheese to go with the wining........advice for Brian Cashman run………run.
But it’s funny, how at the beginning of the year they didn’t want Mussina, now he’s praising him. Since Hank is going after free agents and “If I want somebody, I'm going after him" well then he should listen to your own advice, Damon worked out so well, Hank should offer him another multi year contract, after all isn’t he a free agent at the end of the season?....hahaha
It is worth pointing out that the Yankees can blame their bad season on injuries, but a "rash of injuries" suggests more then bad luck... how about poor management, poor scouting, and poor risk management.
Girardi has a terrible record with abusing young pitchers from the first year he managed in Florida (see Anibal Sanchez, Dontrelle Willis, Scott Olsen). The results don't look good his first year in the Bronx either (see Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy, and Phil Hughes). That is poor management.
Signing injury risks to large and long contracts (Carl Pavano). That is poor scouting.
And leaving the season in the hands of aging declining superstars (Giambi, Posada, Pettite, ... Yankees). That is poor risk management.
It is worth pointing out that the Yankees can blame their bad season on injuries, but a "rash of injuries" suggests more then bad luck... how about poor management, poor scouting, and poor risk management.
Girardi has a terrible record with abusing young pitchers from the first year he managed in Florida (see Anibal Sanchez, Dontrelle Willis, Scott Olsen). The results don't look good his first year in the Bronx either (see Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy, and Phil Hughes). That is poor management.
Signing injury risks to large and long contracts (Carl Pavano). That is poor scouting.
And leaving the season in the hands of aging declining superstars (Giambi, Posada, Pettite, ... Yankees). That is poor risk management.
When is Hank going to realize he needs to accomplish something before his temper tantrums become meaningful? We listened to the old man blow his fog horn because he won a bunch of rings. Like ESPN's Wilbon continues to say, being born into money and the Yankees organization doesn't make you a success. You would think by now he would be listening to Brian Cashman.
By the way, how's Joe Torre doing? Looks like he's headed to the playoffs.
As a Sox fan, I'll take an 8.5 game lead over the Yanks this time of year every season.
Wow! The Yankees are already the team with the highest payroll, what's he gonna do? spend more money than all the teams combined in an entire division? Oh Yeah, they already do. I'd be embarassed to be a fan, or be part of management of this team with it's sorry results for the money. Oh Yeah Hank, way to stick to your guns with Not resigning A-rod if he opts out. You just showed all of the agents that you'll give in. I'm not sure who said it, but they we're spot on when they said that rooting for the Yankees was like rooting for the House at a Casino.
Wow! The Yankees are already the team with the highest payroll, what's he gonna do? spend more money than all the teams combined in an entire division? Oh Yeah, they already do. I'd be embarassed to be a fan, or be part of management of this team with it's sorry results for the money. Oh Yeah Hank, way to stick to your guns with Not resigning A-rod if he opts out. You just showed all of the agents that you'll give in. I'm not sure who said it, but they we're spot on when they said that rooting for the Yankees was like rooting for the House at a Casino.
Hank is going to hideously overpay for CC Fatassia and probably Teixiera
The Red Sox will get Ben Sheets.
I still like the red sox to be better than the yankees in 2009
Hank is going to hideously overpay for CC Fatassia and probably Teixiera
The Red Sox will get Ben Sheets.
I still like the red sox to be better than the yankees in 2009
If you want to look at injuries, look no further than the Yankees' cross-town rival, the Mets. They lost their starting left fielder, Moises Alou, for the season. Projected starter Orlando Hernandez never threw a pitch. Starting RF Ryan Church missed weeks with post-concussion syndrome. Maine and Wagner are both done for the year. Instead of complaining like the Yankees, the Mets' veterans and rookies picked up the slack and have brought the team to the cusp of the playoffs... Hopefully soon I will have the pleasure of experiencing a postseason in which the only team with NY on their caps is the METS! (For the record, I always root for the Sox against the Yankees!)
If you want to look at injuries, look no further than the Yankees' cross-town rival, the Mets. They lost their starting left fielder, Moises Alou, for the season. Projected starter Orlando Hernandez never threw a pitch. Starting RF Ryan Church missed weeks with post-concussion syndrome. Maine and Wagner are both done for the year. Instead of complaining like the Yankees, the Mets' veterans and rookies picked up the slack and have brought the team to the cusp of the playoffs... Hopefully soon I will have the pleasure of experiencing a postseason in which the only team with NY on their caps is the METS! (For the record, I always root for the Sox against the Yankees!)
IT WAS A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE NY HI ROCK BOTTOM!!!!!!! TIME TO GIVE CASHMAN THE AX
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
Red Sox Twitter
E-mail your question
- Amalie Benjamin,
- Nick Cafardo,
- Chad Finn,
- Adam Kilgore or
- Tony Massarotti
Or if your comment or question is non-specific to a particular reporter, enter it in the form below:browse this blog
by categoryINside Boston.com