Tuesday, July 13, 2010
George Steinbrenner
Geore Steinbrenner changed sports. His two good qualities as a owner was he demand of excellence and his treatment of sports as a business. While Steinbrenner did a lot of good for baseball, he did more wrong.
He was not the most successful Yankee owner. The Topping/Webster Era (20 years) in the between 1945 and 1964 was the most successful, bringing home 15 American League Championships and 10 World Series Championships Ruppert Ownership , second to that was the Ruppert Era (30 years) resulted in 14 American League Championships and 10 World Series Championships. The George Steinbrenner era only resulted in 10 American League Championships and 7 World Series Championships in 37 years
Modern sportswriters are praising George Steinbrenner today. Those writers like the athletes that benefitted from Steinbrenner’s ownership of the Yankees rose in salary structure from his management. But his management also impacted on the fans. As Steinbrenner forever changed sports with higher and higher salaries, media also paid their best sportswriters and sportscasters to cover those athletes. Baseball has no salary cap because of George Steinbrenner’s influence. Steinbrenner would prefer to spend what he could afford.
The passing of George Steinbrenner is an end of a Yankee Era, however Steinbrenner while the most infamous owner is not in the top 100 Yankee people. He pales behind Hall of Famers, and two more successful owner groups who actually enhanced baseball.
Posted by Nancy at 2:55 PM 0 comments
Labels: George Steinbrenner
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Bob Shepard
Sheppard long nicknamed the voice of God, never sought the limelight. He took a job as sports announcer to bring extra income to is family, never realizing it would bring him international notoriety.
Sheppard could have been anything he became a teacher. He served his country in World War II, and. In 1951 he became a Yankee Stadium announcer, announcing for both the Giants and NY York Yankees, but it was his baseball role that pushed him into public address immortality.
Sheppard worked for the Yankee for 58 years to, during double duty with the New Giants until 2005, when his health started to catch up with him. He devoted the rest of his time to the Yankees. His microphone was retired, it is enshrined in Cooperstown. A Bronze plaque sits in Monument, placed there by the Yankees in May 2000.
Sheppard witnessed some of the greatest athletes play baseball, hall of famers: Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Bill Dickey, Whitey Ford Goose Gossage, Phil Rizzuto, Catfish Hunter, Dave Williams, Ted Williams, Wade Boggs, and Casey Stengel. He announced and witnessed the Yankees winning 13 of World Series and 22 American League titles.
There will never be another Bob Sheppard, but we can strive to be like him. Not necessarily the voice of the Yankees, but a good person, who does well for all.
Posted by Nancy at 12:36 PM 0 comments
Labels: Bob Sheppard, NYY Announcer