Earth to Hank Steinbrenner:
Baseball went to a multidivision setup to create more races, rivalries and excitement. But it isn't fair. You see it this season, with plenty of people in the media pointing out that Joe Torre and the Dodgers are going to the playoffs while we're not. This is by no means a knock on Torre -- let me make that clear -- but look at the division they're in. If L.A. were in the A.L. East, it wouldn't be in the playoff discussion. The A.L. East is never weak. Ask the teams that finished behind us all of those seasons. I'll say it right now: Boston should have made the playoffs in 1978. We beat the Red Sox in that one-game playoff, but they still had a better record than the Royals, who won the A.L. West. And that's one of many examples.
I'm happy for Joe, but you have to compare the divisions and the competition. What if the Yankees finish the season with more wins than the Dodgers but the Dodgers make the playoffs? Does that make the Dodgers a better team? No.
Hank, I know you were overseeing the family's horse racing interests until last year, and--as the son of the Boss--you come off as the George W. Bush of baseball executives.
Or maybe you're the George Costanza character from Seinfeld.
But you really need to pull your head out of your ass.
Your team wasn't good enough this year.
Get over it.
Since when does a Yankee whine about fairness?
I don't hear Derek Jeter bitching about baseball's playoff system; Yogi, Whitey, Reggie, and the rest of the real Yankees weren't making excuses the other night during the closing ceremonies at the Stadium, either.
No, Hank, it's only you.
It sounds like sour grapes, and it seems as if Joe Torre's imminent return to October baseball with the Dodgers has gotten under your skin.
Tough shit.
Oh, and it was pretty classless to make no mention of Joe during Sunday's trip down that pinstriped Memory Lane, by the way.
Inexcusable.
I'm a Yankee fan. I wish you'd made it into the post-season, too.
But you didn't have the, um, horses, did you?
I'll be at Dodger Stadium tonight. Did you know they clinched at least a tie for the NL Western division title last night?
Maybe they'll win it tonight!
(You did know they play in the National League, and in the west, right? So, yeah, "if L.A. were in the AL East"--as you moan--but, well, never mind...)
Anyway, Hank, I'll raise a toast to Joe for you tonight; a real Yankee exiled to another legendary franchise, living the good life, looking forward to October.
Now go feed Old Paint.
UPDATE:
The Dodgers clinched the NL West this afternoon, as Arizona lost to St. Louis.
1 comment:
So I guess having a $200 mill payroll is fair? What a crybaby!
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