A disclaimer: This is meaningless. In the grand scheme of the world, who cares? Really, who cares.
That said, what the hell were the Yankees thinking when they polluted sacred Monument Park with a 7-feet-wide and 5-feet-high plaque to George Steinbrenner that dwarfs everything else within sight? Bigger than Babe Ruth? Bigger than Lou Gehrig? Bigger than Joltin’ Joe and the Mick?
What!?
Makes no sense. None whatsoever. Steinbrenner was obviously a transformative owner. But he wasn’t always a great owner. Remember the 1980s? Spying on Dave Winfield? Being banned from the game? Hiring and firing managers with reckless will? Remember King George all but driving Billy Martin to the bottle? Remember him firing Yogi Berra after a coiple of games?
Does he deserve to be recognized? Of course. But this is just downright offensive. I looked on Baseball Reference. The name George Steinbrenner doesn’t appear (as a player). Not one hit, one win, one RBI, one strikeout. Nothing. He was a man in a suit who happened to be blessed with great fortune.
Oy.
