RIP Boss

Today is a sad day for Yankee fans and for baseball fans. Despite his faults (and he did mellow over time), George Steinbrenner provided the ideal model of how a baseball team should be run. Instead of being a small piece in a large corporate cog (the way they were under CBS) or as a trophy for a mega-billionaire whose financial priorities are elsewhere, the Yankees were owned by a man (and now a family) for whom the Yankees were their sole focus. I think baseball's competitive balance would be greatly improved if the commissioner mandated that all owners must depend on their team's revenue for at least 75% of their overall income. Then you would see all the teams doing what the Yankees have done since 1973 - concentrate on putting the best team possible on the field, year in and year out.

As far as I know, Steinbrenner has never appeared on a card. However, if he ever saw a card like this one, I'll bet it put a smile on his face.