In defense of George Steinbrenner

By Justin Termine Sports Central Columnist

"To my brother, George, the richest man in town."

That line, of course, originated in Frank Capra's classic movie "It's a Wonderful Life." In the movie, the quote is uttered in reference to George Bailey, by his brother, Harry. The words are meant to show the audience that George is the richest man in town not because of his money, but because of the amount of lives he touched in a positive way.

The quote certainly applies to George who sacrificed his whole life to make certain others were happy. However, George Bailey isn't the only George that could conceivably be on the receiving end of such a compliment.

There is a man, a "Boss" in fact, named George Steinbrenner that many consider to be the Mr. Potter of the sports world. Many ill-informed fans, media members, and fellow owners alike, claim that the Boss sits atop his perch in the "House That Ruth Built" weaving his little webs in a greedy attempt to destroy the game while seeing to it that his team, the New York Yankees, finish as the champions of the world. He is steroids, greed, gambling, and apathy all rolled into one. He is everything wrong with the game in their eyes.

In my eyes, however, he is everything right. He is the game's George Bailey.

On January 7, 1973, Steinbrenner bought the most storied franchise in sports for $8.8 million dollars from CBS. Over the next 30 years, Steinbrenner, the longest running owner in the sports, has overseen six World Series titles and the value of his franchise increase by 11,263 percent to the estimated one-billion dollars it is today.

In expanding his, as many Yankee-haters have come to call it, Evil-Empire into Japan with the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (YES), into Europe in a deal with England's most storied soccer franchise, Manchester United, and into the NBA and NHL with the New Jersey Nets and New Jersey Devils, George Steinbrenner was recently named as the most powerful man in sports by The Sporting News magazine.

Steinbrenner has certainly made enough money to run his own country, or call it quits and sit by the ocean in the Caribbean and sip Margaritas. But for the Boss, just like George Bailey, it is not all about the money. For Steinbrenner, it is about winning and giving the fans of New York what they deserve and expect -- another World Series title in the Bronx. The Boss says that as long as the fans keep supporting the team with their hard-earned money, he is obligated, unlike any other owner in the sport, to put money back into bringing them a winner.

Across America, baseball fans criticize Steinbrenner for his free-spending ways and his win at all costs mantra. But if they really think, isn't that how they would run a team if they owned one? Fans always complain about the fancy cars players drive, or the fifth house they own, but never use. In the Boss's case, he has put aside that one extra toy in order to bring home a winner. He may be the only owner, not just in baseball, but any sport, that sees baseball for what it is, not a business, but a game.

This past summer Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bud Selig played Mr. Potter to Steinbrenner's George Bailey and his Building and Loan (the New York Yankees). The owners of other franchises, headed by Selig, attempted to stymie Steinbrenner's spending and will to win by implementing a luxury tax.

At first, it appeared Steinbrenner had been defeated. All that was heard out of his office was complaints, threats of a lawsuit, and a new focus on cutting payroll. All this talk then seemed to come to fruition when major contributors of championships past Mike Stanton and Ramiro Mendoza were let walk.

Steinbrenner, the Yankees, and their fans had appeared to finally have been defeated. No longer would the Boss be able to ensure the Yankees remain atop the baseball world with his millions of dollars and his pure desire to win. That is what many thought. Including Steinbrenner.

But then, as if George Bailey standing on the ledge of a bridge contemplating ending his life, Steinbrenner contemplated his tenure as Boss of the Yankees. What if he had never played such an active roll in the franchise? And what, if like most owners, he thought of money before winning?

The picture then begins to clear up. In 1973, Steinbrenner purchased the Yankees as they were suffering through their worst stretch in franchise history of 11 consecutive years without a championship under the watch of CBS.

Steinbrenner immediately cleaned up the operation ushering in the free agency era by signing Jim "Catfish" Hunter and Reggie Jackson, while also winning two championships in 1977 and 1978 and overseeing the remodeling of Yankee Stadium.

The general Yankee population was happy with Steinbrenner as the team entered the 1980s by rediscovering their storied past. But then, just like the fall of the Roman Empire, it seemed the 1980s would spell the end for the New York Yankees as after their appearance in the 1981 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, they would not be back to the playoffs until 1995.

The decade was tarred by managerial firings and hirings, a Bronx Zoo-type atmosphere, and two Steinbrenner suspensions. One in 1974 for making illegal campaign contributions to Richard Nixon, and the other in 1990 for paying gambler Howard Spira $40,000 to dig up dirt on outfielder Dave Winfield.

Unlike the 1920s through the '60s, the '80s and early '90s marked a period of time where you couldn't pay a marquee player enough to dawn the pinstripes. But despite all this turmoil and the lack of championships, critics continue to fail to point out that in the decade of the '80s, the New York Yankees still won more games than any other franchise.

That turned out to be an omen for the team that would then go on to win more championships than any other team in the 1990s. It all turned around for the Yankees in the early to mid-'90s with the signing of pitcher Jimmy Key and the acquisition of rightfielder Paul O'Neill. These moves ushered in a period where Steinbrenner began to rely on his baseball people to make decisions. Instead of demanding they trade the Jay Buhners and Fred McGriffs of the world, Steinbrenner allowed the franchise to build around the Bernie Williams', Andy Pettites, and Derek Jeters of the farm system.

These players then formed the core of what would become one of the greatest teams in baseball history, winning four World Series titles from 1996 to 2000. At the core of these championship teams, were players developed in the Yankees farm system. They were surrounded by moves made in shrewd trades and star players who a decade early would have shunned the Yankees at any price, now wanting to play for the Yankees even if it meant a few less dollars.

In reality, the only difference between the Yankees of the '80s and those of the '90s was Steinbrenner's willingness to rely more on his baseball people. His spending habits remained and still remain the same. But in the '80s when the Yankees were struggling, no one seemed to care that Yankees were throwing around millions of dollars. Now that they are winning, that is all anyone seems to care about.

Forget the development of their own stars, or their ability to evaluate and then sign and trade for talent, the only reason many people in baseball gave for the Yankees winning championship after championship was because of their money. Critics ignore the fact that up until the year 2000, the only free agent of any meaning was lefty reliever Mike Stanton.

In 1973, the New York Yankees were on the verge of becoming just another franchise. Their attendance was hovering around 600,000 a year, fans were becoming apathetic, and the Yankees were not winning for the first time in their history.

Now under George Steinbrenner, the Boss, the New York Yankees have undoubtedly become the most prestigious franchise in sports. They regularly now draw more than three million people a season to the Bronx, are worth more than a billion dollars, and they have 26 World Series titles, 17 more than their closest competition, the St. Louis Cardinals, who have nine.

Headed in the wrong direction, George Steinbrenner saved the New York Yankees in 1973 by his desire to win and his willingness to spend money. Just as George Bailey saved the Building in Loan in the cinematic hit "It's a Wonderful Life," George Steinbrenner did the same with the New York Yankees -- and with the signings of Jose Contreras and Hideki Matsui this winter, it appears that he will continue to do so.

So you see, fans, George really has lived a wonderful life.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.