03-28-2008, 04:52 PM
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#1 (permalink)
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Pure Greatness
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posts: 2,559
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The Yankees Name "The Boss" A Legend
Quote:
On the day that the Yankees' spring home was renamed for his father, Hank Steinbrenner made it clear that he and his brother, Hal, plan to carry the torch and keep the Yankees atop the baseball world for generations.
With a nucleus of stars including Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Mariano Rivera, a group of up-and-comers such as Robinson Cano and Chien-Ming Wang, and a class of prospects that includes Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain, Hank Steinbrenner believes the Bombers are going to be a major player for some time - although he thinks his club has what it takes to close down Yankee Stadium with one more title.
"I'd love to win it this year - and we might," Steinbrenner said Thursday. "We have just as much hope as the other four top teams. We want to be in a position like we were in the late '90s, like we were in the '30s, '40s and '50s, where we're the favorite almost every year. I won't hold back anything to achieve that."
That means showing patience, developing talent and, of course, spending money. The latter has never been a problem, but with George Steinbrenner, showing patience has not always been a given.
Having watched the rival Red Sox capture two titles in the past four years, the Yankees enter this season as underdogs in the American League East for the first time in a decade. But Hank Steinbrenner isn't ready to concede anything, placing the Bombers in the same class as other AL powers such as the Red Sox, Angels, Tigers and Indians.
"We're going to be one of the teams that can win the World Series," he said. "I think we're only going to get better over the next few years, and our plan is to become a dominant force from now on, to do whatever we have to do.
"That's why we have the scouts we do, that's why we have the budgets we do - not that we'll shy away from signing a free agent if we need to. We'll spend the money and we'll do what we have to do to win. We're the same way (his father) is."
The Boss was on hand at Legends Field Thursday for the official renaming of the ballpark, now known as George M. Steinbrenner Field. The sign over the scoreboard was unveiled before the spring home finale, as Hank and Hal were on hand along with sisters Jennifer and Jessica, as well as Jessica's husband, Felix Lopez, and all of Steinbrenner's grandchildren.
"This is a great thing. It makes me proud," George Steinbrenner said. "It was a great ceremony."
Said Hal: "I think it was wonderful. The weather was perfect, we had a big crowd and we got the drape over the sign down correctly. I think it was emotional, without a doubt. We've been here over 30 years, we're part of the community and it's a great honor. It's hard to not to be emotional."
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Yankees name George a Legend
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Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege.
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The Yankees Name "The Boss" A Legend
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