The Yanks have seemingly learned from George Steinbrenner’s mistakes. They invited Joe Torre back to the Stadium before this turned into a George-Yogi stand-off that they would never win. Good for them and for Torre. Nice night for the Boss. Over-the-top, sure. But that’s the Yankee Way. Still, it was appealing to see Torre and Cashman hug it out. I’m a sucker for a happy ending.
[Photo Credit: Barton Silverman, NY Times]
Nice pic, Barton Silverman, nice pic.
The friction from that embrace could have been harnessed to power the lights in the stadium last night.
Wow, Cash looks tiny!
It's amazing to me that this organization from and by Steinbrenner, left to his children, can function like well-adjusted adults. I don't think the story of Steinbrenner the Dad has been told. But the Dolans or Wilpons they are not. Hell, they even pushed Hank aside when it became apparent he wasn't good in the role he tried on.
I'd love to know more about the family dynamics. Big Stein seems to have gotten them right.
"Yeah those two, they're a coupla good fellas..."
Wish I could've made it out there to see Donnie and Torre, but had to settle for Suzyn's 'Rogah's Back!' throwback and her and Sterling's Royal Processional commentary, bleh. Still, they got what they wanted all around, so it was a win-win.
[4] From the accounts I read in the papers as it all developed, the Steinbrenners are the real Corleone Family, complete with Big George (Don Vito), Hank (Sonny), Steve Swindal (Fredo), Hal (Michael) and Cashman as adopted son Tom Hagen. And so-on and so-forth (cast listings by request only >;)
I've always wondered what George's fascination with the name Henry was, being that Hank and Hal are variations of that name. He was too shrewd for it to be a coincidence, was it the name of a close relative or an admiration of Tudor royalty or Shakespeare? Hmm...
I thought this was great. I'm glad it's over, I really liked Cashman's comments -- (paraphrasing here) the small sample size of how things ended should not get in the way of the much larger sample size both have shared together.
I will always have a soft spot for Torre.
"Harold" and "Henry" have different etymological roots.
The great thing about that shot aside from it's face value is that it's still open to interpretation. Is it a genuine forgiving embrace between two estranged friends? Is it two media-savvy pros trying to alpha one another in a staged photo op? A little bit of both? I'm just happy to see them together. Life's too short for grudges, especially in the case of these two guys. They're both damn lucky to have had the run they enjoyed together. It made no sense to cheapen what they accomplished with selfish pride, and stubborn silence. Good show, fellas. Really good to see that.
[6] I'm pretty sure the Boss's dad's name was Henry . . . which is strange when you consider the Boss was "George M Steinbrenner III".
[7] [8] Ditto. What's the point in holding a grudge? Forgive and move on . . .
[3] I know, my first thought was: look, Joe is going to try his hand at ventriloquism!
[8] Sure, but Will said "Hal", not "Harold". "Hal" is short for either "Harold" or "Henry".
[10] Yeah, that's the way the numerals work. Properly speaking, you don't get a numeral if you have the same name as your father (in that case you are "Junior"), but you do if you have the same name as another close, older relative.
[10] there is a quote that goes something like "Holding a grudge is like letting someone live in your head rent free."
As for the later post and this one.... as a HUGE Mantle fan and someone who read Ball Four shortly after it came out, it sure was controversial. It's almost funny the hub-bub raised over Torre's book, which in comparison, and considering the day, was rather tame (from what I've heard... haven't read it).
It's obviously great that Torre was welcomed back. For all his on-field headscratchers in his last few years, I remember well when Torre first came aboard. I can remember my shame for the Boss, and the Yankee legacy, which back then was in absolute tatters.
Unless you were a fan in the 70s, 80s and 90s, I don't think you can appreciate the complete turnaround that came with Joe. Until then, EVERY national broadcast lampooned the Yankees. The moment the action slowed, it was George and being banned, George and breaking the law, George and fights, just GEORGE, and of course, George and Billy. I stopped listening and watching for quite a while. I couldn't stand what had become of my beloved Yankees.
Sure, the Fab Five (Core 4 plus Bernie) surely helped. But 'Clueless' Joe might have been the only manager on Earth who could have lasted under George's oppressive ways, and at the same time, change the entire perception of the Yankee Organization.
So if Bouton can now be heralded, when at one time he was more hated then Osama, it shows us that Torre's book was barely a blip in comparison. And certainly, his book should not even be considered when assessing Joe's legacy with the Yankees.