New Boss in New York

New Boss in New York

The Boss is still named Steinbrenner but it is now Hank Steinbrenner, not George who is calling the shots for the New York Yankees. Over the years George Steinbrenner has said many times that he is ready to slow down and delegate some of the day to day duties of running the Yankees but this has never happened, until now.
As Steinbrenner has made fewer public appearances and granted very few interview request over the last few years many in baseball have questioned his health and who is actually running the Yankees. Through spokesman Howard Rubenstein the Yankees have released many statements from George to show that he was still in charge. Many baseball people have questioned whether it is even George who is writing the statements. During the 2007ALDS Ian O'Connor of USA Today tracked down George Steinbrenner and got him to give a statement saying that if the Yankees did not win the division series Joe Torre was going to be fired. As we later learned this was not the case since the Yankees lost and although it was an offer he deemed insulting, Joe Torre was given an offer to return as Yankee manager. This is not the first time in recent years that George has said something off the cuff and his words were proven to be untrue. Many in baseball saw this as the final straw, showing that George was not really in charge of the Yankees anymore. That's where Hank comes in.
As the oldest Steinbrenner son, it makes sense that Hank is the one to take over for George, but that was not always the plan. Over the years George Steinbrenner has announced a couple of other successors. The first was Joe Molloy who was married to his daughter Jessica but that plan ended when Molloy and Jessica Steinbrenner divorced. The second planned successor was Steve Swindal, the husband of George's other daughter Jennifer. In recent years Swindal had become one of the most influential voices in the Yankee organization. It was him who negotiated Joe Torre's last contract and it is also said to have been him who talked George out of firing Torre after the 2006 season ended in Detroit. Last year Swindal was arrested on DWI charges and soon after Jennifer Steinbrenner filed for divorce.
Hank Steinbrenner had not been with the Yankees for many years until he returned recently to help his father. The main reason for his absence was that he felt he could not work for his father. He has stated how demanding he was and he felt that it was best if he got involved in one of the family's other businesses. Hank had always had a love of horses and after leaving the Yankees he became heavily involved with the family's Thoroughbred business. He returned because he realized that his father needed his help and that this time he would be working with his dad, not for him.
Since he returned Hank has become a major face of the Yankees. It has been Hank, not GM Brian Cashman, who has been making most of the Yankees' public statements. Hank has changed the way that the Yankees have gone about doing business. In recent years there was a better chance of getting getting information out of Bill Belichick than the Yankees. This has been a policy of Brian Cashman. Cashman is known to dislike negotiating in the press and showing his cards. Hank has been the complete opposite, making threats and setting deadlines to complete negotiations. Cashman only returned a couple of years ago after he was promised full control by George Steinbrenner. Now with Hank in charge one has to wonder how Brian Cashman feels about this.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the big day, the day when I find out if I passed my portfolio. I really hope that I did and I think that I deserve to pass. I have failed this class before and in this past I was never as confident about passing the portfolio as I am this time. I could be wrong, but I think that I did a good job. One paper that I handed in received a B in class and the other one received a B+. I also went over these papers after they were graded and made more revisions. C- is supposed to be a passing grade on the portfolio so I think I have reason to be confident. I just don't trust the portfolio system. I hate it how random professors that don't even know me get to make a decision if I should pass or not. I think that my own professor, who has seen my work all semester, can make a more informed decision regarding my writing ability.

Stats

Its 2:35 in the morning and im sitting here trying to finish my stats project that I have to do a presentation for tomorrow. Obviously, im not getting much done. The main reason for this is that I hate statistics and I am not really sure what the hell I am doing. I have most of my presentation done but I have to put together a couple of charts for my powerpoint and I really don't know what I am doing. Ill probably be up for a few more hours doing this. If anybody has any idea how to do a test or set up charts in a powerpoint feel free to let me know.

Hank's In Charge

Over the last few years the Yankees have been overly secretive about their interest in trades or free agents. That has changed since Hank Steinbrenner has taken control of the team. When he re-signed with the Yankees a couple of years ago Brian Cashman was given full autonomy over the baseball operations of the Yankees. He was known to give as many no comments and evasive answers as any general manager in the game. Hank Steinbrenner has seemingly gone about doing business the complete opposite way than what Cashman would like. One has to wonder how Cashman feels about the current situation. One of the main reasons he returned to the Yankees was out of loyalty to George Steinbrenner, but now he finds himself working for his son. How does he feel about that??

Keep Away

The Yankees cannot let Johan Santana go to Boston under any circumstances. If they do they can get comfortable second place because they are going to be stuck there for the next few years. The combination of Josh Beckett and Johan Santana would be unbreathable. Right now the Yankees are saying that they will give up Phil Hughes, Melky Cabrera, and a third second level prospect but will not include Ian Kennedy. I do not want the Yankees to give up Kennedy either but if it comes down to either giving up Kennedy or watching Boston trade for Santana the Yankees do not have a choice. Getting Santana is a must for the Yankees. Chien Min Wang showed in the playoffs that he is not an ace. The Yankees need someone to match up with Josh Beckett and Santana is that guy. They cannot let them become teammates.