I like George Steinbrenner.
Steinbrenner comes off harshly to the media because he acts as if no one else exists but his Yankees. Take away his on-the-field managing and his rocky relationship with Billy Martin, and we have baseball’s version of Microsoft.
Yes, it’s true that the Yankees have the highest salary in baseball at $184 million. But it’s justified because they win so much.
The Yanks have won more World Series than any other team. But their two recent World Series losses only prove that even if a team has the talent, they have to have the skill to back it up.
Bud Selig, baseball’s “equality commissioner,” placed a luxury tax on any team whose payroll exceeds $120.5 million, according to Allen Barra.
I hope George keeps on spending until all of baseball’s talent is on one team. I’m not a fan of the Yankees, but I do like Steinbrenner’s free-market baseball sense.
He has made his money, and he deserves to spend it on any player he wants. Who cares if a team like the Colorado Rockies cannot compete? There are too many teams in baseball as it is.
Societies’ norms trickle down to sports. Sooner or later, we have “baseball socialism.”
Tax George Steinbrenner for his winning ways and give to lesser teams who cannot even break .500.
America and the media need someone to hate. So why not pick out the winningest team and one of the wealthiest men in baseball?
He speaks freely, appears in commercials that make fun of him, and keeps on going strong. Alex Rodriguez is kind of like the new versions of Windows that all the anti-Bill Gates people cannot stand.
Whether A-Rod is producing or will produce is not the question. If A-Rod comes through big, then he’s product of baseball wealth that does not allow other teams to succeed. If he does not produce, then that just proves that money cannot buy anything.
The “Evil Empire” is great for other teams. A couple of years ago, I was in Baltimore to see the Orioles play the Yankees near the very end of the season. By that time, the Orioles were out of the pennant race by several games. The place was nearly sold out and packed with people who wanted to see New York get their butts beat, no matter what time in the season it happened to be.
A year after that in Veteran Stadium in Philadelphia, I saw the Yankees and Phillies face off in an interleague game.
Again the same scenario – the stands were packed where the home team was having a down season.
They want to see New York because of marquee players. Getting and retaining their service takes a lot of money. Agree or disagree they have set the standard for top athletes and trendsetters.
The first two Red Sox and Yankees series have been great. They further tradition and competition in the game of baseball. Steinbrenner’s big bucks keep the baseball legacy alive.
Before Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa traded homeruns- New York was winning in an unbelievable fashion.
Fans and purists remained attentive to the powerhouse teams of the late ’90s.
Baseball emperor or not, George is sure to keep on spending as he should. So let the other owners dig in their pockets, for the fans.
Like them or not, breaking the curse of the Bambino through taxing a successful team is like dropping a bomb on the Bronx’s greatest tradition.

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