The LoHud Yankees Blog

Just got off the phone with Brian Cashman, who first expressed sadness – and surprise – about George Steinbrenner’s passing. Cashman said he last spoke to Steinbrenner on July 4th – “I wished him a happy birthday,” Cashman said – and was “shocked” when he heard the news about Steinbrenner’s death Tuesday morning.

“He had seemed to be getting better, honestly,” Cashman said. “He seemed to be getting better from what he was, health-wise, a few years ago. I was shocked, stunned, all of that when I heard.”

Cashman, who started with the Yankees as an intern in 1986, said Steinbrenner always “wanted two things: he wanted you to work, to keep up with him. And he wanted you to get the job done. The Yankees were his family. His employees were his employees, but at the same time, they were also his family and he cared about them deeply.”

In team news, Cashman said that while he had not yet spoken to Joe Girardi today, he believes that Alex Rodriguez is healthy and that there was no injury situation that would have kept him out of last night’s All-Star Game. There were reports that Rodriguez had a sore thumb, but Cashman said there was “nothing that I know of beyond the daily maintenance stuff.”

Cashman added, “Was he available (to play)? Yes he was.”

Like everyone else in the world I found it strange that Joe Girardi didn’t find a way to get Alex Rodriguez into the All-Star Game last night, but so it goes — the Yankees will surely say that they’ll just have to win the World Series in five games now since they won”t have home-field advantage.

One place A-Rod will be appearing, it seems, is on the silver screen. Rodriguez will make his acting debut in the movie “Friends with Benefits,” a comedy starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis (who, it must be said, was fantastic in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”).

Derek Jeter, of course, also has a cameo in the upcoming Will Ferrell movie “The Other Guys” and, when Ferrell talked to reporters at the All-Star Game, he said – in full-on deadpan – that Jeter was an “excellent actor” in performing his critical appearance.

“We have the captain, Derek Jeter, or ‘J-Stick,’ as I like to refer to him,” Ferrell said jokingly. “If he would have said two words to me, I would have been able to tell you,” Ferrell said. “But boy, the guy has an entourage a mile long. When he says no eye contact, he means it. He slapped me a couple of times. Other than that, he’s great.”

More seriously, Ferrell said, “He’s actually one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. With how talented he is, his greatness, we were just laughing. He said he was more nervous during a day filming with us than he was in the seventh game of the World Series. It was great. I tried not to talk to him too much.”

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Obviously the news of George Steinbrenner’s death is still fresh and we’ll be sure to update with any developments on when a memorial service is scheduled or other tributes. This is a slow time in baseball anyway, but we’ll try to have some posts – both Steinbrenner and otherwise – until games resume on Friday night.

“It goes back to the first time I ever met him down in the Gulf Coast League. I had just signed, and you know, he was this figure that’s larger-than-life. Yeah, I was a Yankee fan, so I was well aware of him and his reputation. He came up to me and talked to me by name. I was more shocked that he knew who I was, but I guess because he gave me some of his money, he had to know who I was. Right from that day he said, ‘We expect big things from you.’ I’ll always remember that, because first impressions, you never forget. He expects a lot.”
– Derek Jeter from a transcript of Tuesday’s all-star press conference

“A lot of the huff and puff and blow the house down, there was so much more to him than that. Going into the job, I certainly went in with my eyes wide open. We all witnessed what went on from day to day and how tough it was to work for this man. But I knew I was at a crossroads in my career and when I accepted the job – I never hesitated in accepting the job in ‘96 – he was a great guy to work for because all he wanted to do was win. And in doing that he certainly spent a lot of money. He felt a great obligation to the fans in New York. The players would gripe about him and I would gripe about him and all that – tried not to do it publicly – but all he wanted to do was win and that’s what the city of New York was all about.”
– Joe Torre on Sirius XM Radio

“You think about, obviously, what he’s done for the game of baseball, but obviously with the loss, you think about what he’s done for you personally. You know, he just was great to me. He always was great to me my whole career during the good times, the bad times; his family has been great to me. I always had a great relationship with him. He was always good to be around. He was tough, but he was always fair and he was great to be around.”
– Andy Pettitte from a transcript of Tuesday’s all-star press conference

“You couldn’t ask for a better owner than George Steinbrenner. He always provided everything you needed to win a championship. His passion, intensity and his attention to detail were legendary, and he expected nothing but the best from you. No one outworked him, and no one wanted to win more than he. He had a unique aura, a unique presence about him. When he walked into a room, his presence was felt immediately. I thoroughly enjoyed my times with the Yankees. It was, and is, a sports franchise like no other. Mr. Steinbrenner will be terribly missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Steinbrenner family.”
– Al Leiter in a statement from the YES Network

“Today we lost a great person, a great leader and a great American. There will never be anyone like George Steinbrenner. He was a winner.”
– Yankees President Randy Levine in a released statement

“I thought he was a great owner. He really got involved with the team and the players and he spent his money. He just made the Yankees like a new team again.”
– Whitey Ford on MLB Network Radio

“George Steinbrenner was a legend, a once-in-a-lifetime figure. He had tremendous vision, and the sports landscape – not just the baseball landscape – will never be the same. He had an outsized personality. While I was playing with the Orioles, and later as a Yankees analyst, I witnessed first-hand the passion for winning he exhibited, and the way New Yorkers appreciated the resources he put into producing a championship team. We’ll never see another owner like him. I will always appreciate the opportunity Mr. Steinbrenner gave me to broadcast Yankee games. I will miss him dearly.”
– Ken Singleton in a statement from the YES Network

“Opposing players and fans may have bristled at his outspoken leadership over the years, but it was only because they wished they had a Steinbrenner of their own. Mr. Steinbrenner passing comes on the morning of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, a contest dedicated to the fans and to the glory of the game. This is a fitting tribute, as Mr. Steinbrenner was one of the last owners who felt as much loyalty and kinship with his fans as they felt with his team. So as Americans gather this evening to watch baseball’s best — including six of his Yankees — I hope we all take a moment to remember the life and legacy of George Steinbrenner: the owner; the businessman; the husband and father; the Boss. On behalf of a grateful city and State, I wish comfort during this difficult time to Mr. Steinbrenner’s wife, Elizabeth, and children, Hank, Hal, Jessica and Jennifer. He will truly be missed.”
– New York Governor David Paterson in a released statement

“I have great respect for George, a man from whom I learned so much about leadership, motivation and accountability during my tenure with the ball club as media relations director from 1989-93. His overriding objective was to win, the sign of a true sportsman. You have to give him credit for always having the best interest of Yankee fans at heart, which was bringing a World Series winner to the Bronx, something he accomplished seven times. He bought a wilting franchise in 1973 and turned it into a worldwide brand through his vision, work ethic and overall Yankee ingenuity. He was a true friend of the Hall of Fame, and the history he helped create will always be preserved in Cooperstown.”
– Baseball Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson in a released statement

Associated Press photo of Steinbrenner with Torre and Jeter in 1999

Derek Jeter
1-for-2
Singled off Roy Halladay, struck out against Josh Johnson, walked against Ubaldo Jimenez.

Robinson Cano
0-for-1
Ground out against Ubaldo Jimenez, sac fly against Hong-Chih Kuo. Drove in the only American League run.

Nick Swisher
0-for-1
Struck out against Adam Wainwright.

Alex Rodriguez
Only position player who did not play.

Andy Pettitte
Scoreless third inning
Struck out Andre Ethier and Corey Hart, allowed a single to Yadier Molina.

Phil Hughes
Took the loss in one-third of an inning
Started the seventh inning. First-pitch ground out. Back-to-back singles by Scott Rolen and Matt Holliday. Reliever Matt Thornton let the runs score.

Associated Press photo of Rodriguez

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Derek Jeter SS
Miguel Cabrera 1B
Josh Hamilton CF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Evan Longoria 3B
Joe Mauer C
Robinson Cano 2B
Carl Crawford LF

LHP David Price

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Hanley Ramirez SS
Martin Prado 2B
Albert Pujols 1B
Ryan Howard DH
David Wright 3B
Ryan Braun LF
Andre Ethier CF
Corey Hart RF
Yadier Molina C

RHP Ubaldo Jimenez

TIME/TV: 8 p.m. ET / FOX

UMPIRES: HP Mike Reilly, 1B Mike Winters, 2B Brian O’Nora, 3B Laz Diaz, OF Bruce Dreckman, OF Jim Wolf

WEATHER: Temperatures in the upper 70s with practically no chance of rain.

THE BOSS: Flags will be flown at half-staff and there will be a moment of silence in memory of George Steinbrenner.

THE STREAK: The National League has not won the All-Star Game since 1996.

THE YANKEES: Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano are in the starting lineup. Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher are on the bench. Phil Hughes and Andy Pettitte are available out of the bullpen. CC Sabathia and Mariano Rivera were chosen but are not available to play. Joe Girardi is managing the All-Star Game for the first time in his career.

UPDATE, 8:38 p.m.: Pregame highlight might have been Alex Rodriguez playing it up when the crowd started booing. It was inevitable, and Rodriguez went over the top to pretend he was getting the loudest ovation he’d ever heard. Pretty hilarious.

Also, I really like that All-Stars Among Us thing. It’s a good idea, and I think they pull it off pretty well. Nice touch by the cameras to find Jeter and Girardi during the moment of silence.

UPDATE, 9:25 p.m.: Andy Pettitte just induced a ground ball to Derek Jeter who flipped to Robinson Cano for the final out of the third inning.

Here’s the announcement from the Yankees.

To commemorate the lives and recognize the passings of former Principal Owner / Chairperson George M. Steinbrenner III and longtime Yankees public address announcer Bob Sheppard, the Yankees will don uniform patches for the remainder of the season, beginning with Friday’s game vs. Tampa Bay at Yankee Stadium.

The Steinbrenner commemorative patch will be worn above the interlocking NY on the left breast of the Yankees’ home jerseys and above the letters “YORK” on the left breast of the Yankees’ road uniforms. Both locations are over the heart.

The Sheppard commemorative patch will be worn on the left sleeve of the Yankees’ home and road jerseys.

At tonight’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Anaheim, Calif., Manager Joe Girardi, Yankees players and Yankees coaches will wear black armbands on their left sleeves in honor of Mr. Steinbrenner’s passing.

The Associated Press released a picture of the patch as provided by the Yankees.

Joe Girardi, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte met the media in Anaheim to talk about George Steinbrenner. Here are some of their comments:

Girardi: “It’s a difficult time. It’s a great day for baseball, the All-Star Game, something everyone looks to – and a great man has passed.”

A-Rod: “In ’04, he wrote me a handwritten wrote and it was hand-delivered by a clubhouse kid … (It said) ‘I’m counting on you’ – with capital letters and exclamation point. … And I hold this dear. We’re still playing for him.”

Pettitte: “He would (challenge you). For me, getting a little personal – George used to hand me bible verses before some of my playoff starts. He was tough, but he was always there to support you.”

Girardi: “I never really felt that his expectations were overbearing. I felt he just wanted what all of us wanted – to win.”

Girardi: “I think winning the World Series meant a lot to him but the next day he was back to work. I really believe that he enjoyed it but he stayed the course all the time. We experienced that in 1996 and we were told that he was already planning for 1997 when they were planning the parade. I think he loved it and thought it was a true accomplishment but he never rested in it.”

Jeter: “(I’m) shocked, to say the least. I don’t know if you can put it into words. … I’ve known him since I was 18 years old. We were more friends than anything. We had bets on Ohio State-Michigan football games. I’ve been in trouble a couple of times. We’ve filmed commercials with him dancing. … It’s tough because he’s more than just an owner to me. He’s a friend and he’ll be deeply missed.”

Jeter added that he is flying home to Tampa after the game tonight and had been hoping to see Steinbrenner over the next few days. The last time Jeter saw Steinbrenner, he said, was Opening Day this year when he (along with Girardi) presented Steinbrenner with his 2009 World Series championship ring.

A man wearing an Alex Rodriguez jersey walked into the middle of the interlocking NY in front of Gate 4 at Yankee Stadium this afternoon. He laid two dozen white roses in the middle of the iconic logo, then took off his hat, crossed himself and walked away.

Rain has been pouring in the Bronx this afternoon, but a few fans continue to mill around outside the stadium. There are a few candles, flowers and a small framed picture in place around the Yankees logo in memory of George Steinbrenner.

Obviously today has been dominated by news of George Steinbrenner’s death, and if you’re looking for perspective on the Boss we’ve got you covered:

Here’s an obituary on Steinbrenner.

Here’s a timeline of the major events in his life.

And here’s a photo gallery, “George Steinbrenner in Pictures.”

Also, several of the Yankees at the All-Star Game are planning to address the media this afternoon. Joe Girardi, Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguez will have a press conference at 4:15 p.m. Eastern with Derek Jeter following them at approximately 4:30 p.m. I’d imagine that MLB Network (and perhaps one of the ESPN channels) will carry the sessions.

Additionally, the YES Network has announced that it will air a two-hour special, “George Steinbrenner Remembered” tonight at 6 p.m. I pasted the release on that below the jump.

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Statements have been pouring in regarding George Steinbrenner, including one from former manager Joe Torre. Check out his and some others:

JOE TORRE: “I will always remember George Steinbrenner as a passionate man, a tough boss, a true visionary, a great humanitarian, and a dear friend. I will be forever grateful that he trusted me with his Yankees for 12 years. My heart goes out to his entire family. He will be deeply missed in New York, Tampa and throughout the world of baseball. It’s only fitting that he went out as a world champ.”

NEW YORK GIANTS OWNER JOHN MARA: “The passing of George Steinbrenner leaves a significant void in the fabric of the sports world and New York City. The thoughts and prayers of our organization are with the Steinbrenner and Yankees families. George’s energy and his commitment and devotion to the Yankees were unmatched, and he was as generous and charitable a person as has ever been in sports. His was a unique, special and unforgettable presence.”

KEN SINGLETON: “George Steinbrenner was a legend, a once-in-a-lifetime figure. He had tremendous vision, and the sports landscape – not just the baseball landscape – will never be the same. He had an outsized personality. While I was playing with the Orioles, and later as a Yankees analyst, I witnessed first-hand the passion for winning he exhibited, and the way New Yorkers appreciated the resources he put into producing a championship team. We’ll never see another owner like him. I will always appreciate the opportunity Mr. Steinbrenner gave me to broadcast Yankee games. I will miss him dearly.”

JETS OWNER WOODY JOHNSON: “George Steinbrenner is an American icon and was one of the preeminent owners in all of sports. A true champion with his own unique style, he held his team to the highest standards and demanded a title for Yankees fans each and every season. I will remember him as a winner whose passion and enthusiasm became part of the fabric of New York City. He was an inspiration and represented the essence of leadership.”