“The Boss” Goes to That Big Stadium In The Sky

13th July, 2010 - Posted by Jason Cercone - No Comments

Today, as many players prepare for the 2010 All-Star Game, the baseball world was blown away…”blo-blo-blo-blo-blo-blown” away as legendary New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner passed away from a massive heart attack. Steinbrenner had just turned 80 on the 4th of July.

Despite your allegiances and whether you like the Yankees or hate ‘em (there is no middle ground), “The Boss” is owed his due. When he bought the fabled Yankees franchise, they were wallowing in the doldrums of baseball’s standings. Through free agency and spending a boatload of money, Steinbrenner changed the face of the Yankees and restored them to prominence as the Bronx Bombers brought home World Series championships in 1977-78, 1996, 1998-2000 and 2009  under his ownership.

Big Stein is mostly known for spending money, firing people (Billy Martin x5), and having a slight maniacal side, as portrayed by Larry David on Seinfeld. However, he revolutionized the way an owner portrays himself and paved the road for other team figureheads like Mark Cuban and Jerry Jones to stand out and be heard. His contributions to the baseball world may be viewed as a downgrade by some (the MLB introduced luxury taxes to slow down Yankee spending. It did not work.), but he’s left a stamp on baseball and the sports world forever that cannot be overlooked.

As both a Yankees and Seinfeld fan, I am using this outlet to pay tribute to a legendary man who entertained us while changing the way business was done, through both real-life and artistic TV imitations. My hats off to Larry David for his fantastic portrayal on Seinfeld, and nothing but respect, thoughts, and prayers to the Yankees organization and Steinbrenner family as one of the great owners in sports history visits the big stadium in the sky.

Here are a couple clips of Larry David as “George Steinbrenner” on Seinfeld:

R.I.P. Mr. Steinbrenner. And to paraphrase Yankee Legend Joe DiMaggio, thanks to the Good Lord for making you a Yankee.