Hank Steinbrenner: Little Stein, Big...

Joel Sherman takes his shots at Hank:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10232007/sports/yankees/boss_son_needs_to_remember_the.htm

 

1/20/09.
Then we can talk.

 

It's not delusional self importance in Hank's case.

He just comes across as a flaming asshole.

 

Hank Steinbrenner? A flaming asshole? You can't tell with quotes like these:

Things change?

In twelve years in the Bronx, Torre's record was 1173 and 767, a .605 winning percentage. He managed the Yankees to 12 playoff berths, 10 division titles--including nine in a row from 1998-to-2006; five World Series appearances and four titles.

The only thing that changed was the appreciation--or lack thereof--for the job he did.

 

Just so you know, Fen, we know that you prefer it to be sooner than 1/20/09.

Problem is all of them don't have enough chutzpah to be Michael. ;D

 

Including the current "leadership."

Oh, and fixed.

 

Oh, and that too. HB, Fen was referring to the current monkeys in the WH. You know he can't get through a day without copying and pasting about the latest stuff coming from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

It's in his blood. [/badMichaelCorleoneimpression]

 

I know. I was agreeing with F_B.

 

Hank sounds so much like his father -- a lot of bluster and tough talk . . .

Throwing weight around, rather than employing precise, detatched analysis.

What a cluck.

Best of luck, Yank fans.

It's great to have the loot, but you've got to be just a little smart about how to best-deploy it.

And relying on Tampa drunks isn't going to get it.

 

With the talent and payroll the team had, and playing in a division that had no more than one other contending team for all 12 years, it could be argued Torre underachieved as a manager. Bobby Cox might disagree, of course, but still ...

I'd like to know what Torre's record would be if, say, he had managed the Pirates for the last 12 seasons. Probably something like 767-1163, no division titles, no World Series titles and 10 last-place finishes, possibly including nine in a row. It's not like football or basketball, where game-to-game, even quarter-to-quarter scheming and adjusting can make a big difference. In baseball, you're only as good as your talent. Torre had the best talent for 12 years. His results were as they should have been.

 

Off we go into hypotheticalville again.

All the talent in the world doesn't guarantee a thing. You have to know how to MANAGE the talent --beyond just filling out a line-up card and knowing when to the bullpen.

Cito Gaston won back to back World Series in 92 and 93 because he knew how to handle all his stars' egos and not let them bang into each other.

And it doesn't matter what sport it is--you can have all the talent in the world and not have a team--just ask New York Rangers fans prior to the lockout.

 

There are many who believe they won in spite of Cito gaston not because of him.
I agree with what your saying though I don't know how many people would have been able to manage egos as well as torre did.