Home Baseball Facts The Power of the Dark Side All Hail New York Giants Finally a Bride If There Were no Red Sox Where Am I? Showing Up the MLB Tiger in the Tank My Letter to The Mick It's the Cardinals' Turn History Again My Pigrimage What Happened to Class? Ghosts? Curse? Oh, But That's Different Blame it on the Fame Greed is Good The Best There Ever Was Nineteen-Year-Old Professionals Shame Sports' First Millionaires A Rose By Any Other Name... Who Needs Soaps? Do You Believe in Miracles? Money Problems Our Farewell Trip Define Success (Frank DiPatri) SEC Football (Frank DiPatri) Boy Does It Feel Good (Frank DiPatri) What I Saw This Post Season And Why is That? In Again Rebel Forces Sense Weakness?! Episode 27 My Files



Rebel Forces Sense Weakness?!

                         Mike DiPatri            7/13/10

        The Empire has lost it’s second icon in less than a week.  On Sunday, Bob Sheppard passed away, then today, the Emperor himself died.  I awoke to the news that George Steinbrenner had died this morning of a heart attack.

 The “Boss” acquired the Yankees in 1973.  He once said that breathing  was first, then winning second.

  The team that had been historically successful had not won a championship since 1962 and had not even been to the Series since 1964.  In three seasons though, the Yankees were back in the Series.  True, they lost to the Reds, but you just had to know they were back.  They were in the Series again in 1977 and 1978 and won both years.  After that, the force became very strong for the rebels as the Empire appeared in the Series in 1981 and lost.  It did not appear again until 1996.  But then, it brought to bear its new fully armed and operational battlestar built by Mr. Steinbrenner.  The team won in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000.  That’s four in five years if you need help with the math.  They appeared in 2001 and again 2003 losing, but in 2009 they were there and beat the Phillies to regain their rightful place as the champion.  Since  Mr. Steinbrenner took over as Emperor the Empire won seven of the ten World Series in which it appeared.  Mr. Steinbrenner took a team that though  had already won 21 World Championships, was languishing.  He applied his style of management and almost immediately returned the organization to its former glory.

 There are a lot of people who will point out Mr. Steinbrenner’s heavy-handed style of management and his tight control of the operation as being stupid, but it worked.  He knew that the Yankees were the best and he wanted to stay that way.  He expected everyone in the organization to think the same way.  These people will also bad mouth his use of HIS money as buying championships.  That’s just plain stupid.  He did not get rich because he owned the Yankees; he got them because he was rich.  Of course, the Yankees did make him richer.  He made a ton of money from the team.  But isn’t that what American companies try to do?  Every company in this country will spend its money to get ahead in the business.  So, he had more money than most in his business and he used it wisely to get ahead.  And it worked!  This payroll whining by Yankees haters is a bunch of bull.  Players still have to play.  In the eighties, the Yankees players did not play well.  It showed in the standings. 

 During those eighties, it just so happened that the first article I ever published in a newspaper was about Mr. Steinbrenner.  It said something about how we kept hearing people say the Yankees are losing still.  That’s because that old Steinbrenner’s got his hand in it still.  Well, I don’t remember ever seeing him play.  He gave the organization what it needed to be successful and, though it went through a dry spell, it got back on top.  It remains the most successful team in the history of sports — the only true dynasty!

 You hardly ever hear of the other side of Mr. Steinbrenner.  His giving side.  He gave millions of dollars to charities and to people in need.  Remember in 2007 when that guy shot all those people at that university in Virginia?  Mr. Steinbrenner stepped up and gave the university several million dollars to help it recover.  This is but one example.  He gave a lot of money to individuals he thought could use his help.

 Yes the Empire has lost again this week.  This time the Emperor himself.  The Empire will survive this loss as the Emperor had handed over control to his successor a few years ago as he had been in poor health.  This does not make the loss any easier, though.  Not only are people in New York feeling this, but all people throughout the baseball world as well.  Mr. Steinbrenner built a winner and it will remain a winner.  We give warning to the rebel forces thinking this will weaken the Empire, for it will survive and continue to be the power throughout the baseball universe!