Steinbrenner Yankeeography Well Done, Very Funny

I just finished watching YES Yankeeography on George Steinbrenner. I was interested to seeing it, especially after writing a post this past week about the man and wanting to see what the Yankees and other had to say. Overall, I think it was a job well-done. The best part about it, I think, was some of the humorous George Steinbrenner anecdotes. The Boss was a pretty funny guy and I definitely laughed quite a few times at the various quotes they reproduced. The best one was from Lou Piniella:

I didn't know Mr. Steinbrenner at all. I had just been traded there. I was just joking around. I said (to Steinbrenner), 'Our Lord Jesus Christ had long hair, and things seemed to work out for him.' He didn't say a word. He said, 'Come with me.' We walked across the street to the Ft. Lauderdale swimming pool and he said, 'If you can walk on water, you can wear your hair any way you want.'

I think that they could have spent a little more time speaking about some of bad parts of Steinbrenner (the suspensions and his contentious relationships), but this is his network and they weren't going to throw the old man under the bus. I rather hear about his charitable work too, especially the story of how Ray Negron got his job (let's just say he was a little bit of a juvenile delinquent before The Boss got a hold of him)

Speaking of the old man, it was sad to see how much he's really deteriorated the past few years. They had some interviews with him in the early 2000s and he looked quite with it and was funny and clear thinking. It's sad to think he's slipped so much that he refuses to make many public appearances.

But it made me appreciate even more what he's done for the Yankees and knowing they'd never be where they are right now (the team, the ballpark, the recent history) had it not been for George Michael Steinbrenner III.

Hal Steinbrenner, Phil Hughes, Jack-O and Other Yankees Links

• Peter Abraham on Hal Steinbrenner: "The Yankees once had the most outspoken owner in sports. Now they have one of the quietest. Widely respected within the organization, Steinbrenner emerged as his family’s leader and the caretaker of an empire."
• Joel Sherman on Hal Steinbrenner: "Obviously, winning is the strongest inducement for fans. But part of that four million going through the turnstiles annually was about George Steinbrenner's penchant for making his organization must watch."
• Rob Neyer and Marc Craig both agree that Phil Hughes has been brilliant as a reliever but should ultimately be a starter. And Neyer says something I've been harping: "With all due respect to all the fine and wondrous relievers out there in Baseball Land, isn't Hughes yet another nail in their coffin, value-wise? Good relief pitchers are merely failed starters"
• According to Buster Olney the Yankees have the fourth hardest road to the playoffs in the American League. The good part? The Red Sox have a harder schedule. The bad part? The Rays have an easier schedule. The hardest part: "The Yankees actually have two West Coast trips remaining, including one more visit to their own private hell in Anaheim."
• Chop-n-Change has an interview with Jack-O of Bill Simmon's B.S. Report fame. Heeeerrrrre's Johnny! "The attention I've received from appearing on the BS Report has been kind of surreal, but very, very fun. As Bill and I have commented to each other, the conversations that we have are ones that we would have anyway (although there would probably be more swearing and political incorrectness) so it's funny that people seem to enjoy listening in."
• Erik Boland of Newsday says that despite injuries and inconsistencies, the Yankees are actually in good shape. "For a team that has suffered significant injuries to the lineup (Alex Rodriguez), the rotation (Chien-Ming Wang) and the bullpen (Brian Bruney) and a horrendous early-season slump of one of its three prize free agents (Mark Teixeira), the Yankees enter the second half with the second-best record (51-37) in the American League and lead the wild-card race. Really, that's the bottom line."
• Jon Heyman doesn't think that the Yankees are going to get Roy Halladay because the Blue Jays won't trade within the division. Even if they did, Heyman doesn't think the Yankees want to clear out their farm system of the best prospects: " and/or The Yankees are reluctant to "gut their system,'' according to one rival executive. The Yankees could easily form a nice trade package by including one of two young talented right-handers -- Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes -- plus catching prospect Jesus Montero and outfield prospect Austin Jackson."