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How could anyone ever support Steinbrenner, what an ............{EDIT}


Once Again, Steinbrenner Has Outdone Himself
With Hurricane on Tampa's Doorstep, Yankees Owner Calls for Forfeit
By RICHARD JUSTICE, AOL Exclusive

If George Steinbrenner didn't exist, someone would have to make him up. Come to think of it, maybe he IS that clueless blowhard character on Seinfeld. Maybe he really doesn't exist.

Because no one could be so clueless. No one could be so out of touch.

You've heard stories about how he berates employees, bullies them, embarrasses them.

You've watched him throw millions at some free-agent player, then turn on the guy after a couple of bad games.

One time he ordered a public-relations man to issue a press release criticizing Dave Winfield.

While the release was being passed out, Winfield hit a home run.

No problem there. Steinbrenner ordered the public-relations man to cancel the statement even though some of them had already been handed out.

You've watched him run the greatest sports franchise in history with a mixed history. Sometimes, he bathes it in the glory that comes with another championship. Sometimes, he makes every card-carrying Yankee fan ashamed.

Over the weekend, he outdid himself.

He embarrassed the Yankees again.

Steinbrenner had the gall to send his mouthpiece, Randy Levine, out to wonder why the Tampa Bay Devil Rays hadn't been forced to forfeit a Monday game against the Yankees.

The Devil Rays delayed their trip to New York because players were worried about leaving their families during Hurricane Frances.

That decision would seem reasonable, but there was one problem.



It inconvenienced the Yankees.

Their scheduled doubleheader with the Devil Rays didn't start on time, and they ended up just playing one game.

Oh my.

Rather than announce another doubleheader had been scheduled for Monday or Tuesday, the Yankees asked for a forfeit.

They couldn't have looked more foolish.

Have the Boston Red Sox gotten into their heads or what?

First, a once commanding lead in the American League East melts to almost nothing. Then their No. 1 starting pitcher, Kevin Brown, punches a wall and breaks his hand, effectively ending his season.

Instead of keeping their eye on the ball, the Yankees begged for a forfeit against one of baseball's worst teams.

Kind of sad, isn't it?

Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella, who has been on the receiving end of a few of Steinbrenner's eruptions, reacted predictably when told that the Yankees wanted a forfeit.


"Look, let me tell you this,'' he said angrily. "I think, when you look at baseball, it's important, but your family is doubly important or triply important, and when a hurricane is beating down on the Florida coast, 60, 70, 80 miles from your hometown, I think you take care of your families first and you worry about the ballgame second.

"I know the Yankees are in a pennant race, but I also know that our kids [players] are young and have a lot of young kids at home. There was flooding, there are a lot of things that occurred over a two-day period in Florida and I think everybody was more comfortable being with their family than being in New York, waiting to play a baseball game.''

If I'm the Boston Red Sox and I'm reading all of this, I'm thinking, "We've got 'em. They're toast.''

Speaking of teams that can't keep their eye on the ball, how about those Chicago Cubs?





They're locked in a terrific race for the National League wild-card berth. And what are they worried about?

Their television announcers.

The Astros? Nope. The Marlins? Uh, no.

Their concern is Chip Caray and Steve Stone.

The most recent incident occurred on an Aug. 29 flight to Montreal when reliever Kent Mercker yelled at Stone in front of his teammate.

Mercker earlier called the press box to complain that Caray was being overly complimentary of Astros righthander Roy Oswalt.

He was following the lead of outfielder Moises Alou, who said the announcers were "negative.''

Infielder Todd Walker went on a Chicago radio station to say the situation wouldn't be so bad "if we didn't have to be on the plane with them, if we didn't have to be on the bus with them, if we didn't have to be around them constantly. It all seems like they're more for the other team than they are for us, and we consider them a part of our team.''


If you're wondering where Cubs manager Dusty Baker is in all of this, keep wondering. Instead of reminding his players to concentrate on the important stuff, he's fueling this dumb fire.

"I always want my guys to control themselves as professionals, not doing anything to embarrass themselves, their families or their organizations,'' he said. "But it's a transformation maybe the Cubs are going through sort of, too, from lovable losers to guys that have some spunk and some fire about them.''


09/07/04 10:00 EDT
 
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