George Steinbrenner’s place in Monument Park
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Sep 21, 2010 
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The George Steinbrenner monument unveiled last night is 7 feet wide and 5 feet high, not counting the base. It weight 760 pounds and was manufactured by US Bronze in Hyde Park, NY, using granite from Domenick DeNigris Monuments in the Bronx. The inscription reads:
GEORGE M. STEINBRENNER III
July 4, 1930 – July 13, 2010
New York Yankees Principal Owner
“The Boss”
1973 – 2010
Purchased the New York Yankees on January 3, 1973.
A true visionary who changed the game of baseball forever, he was considered the most influential owner in all of sports. In his 37 years as Principal Owner, the Yankees posted a Major League-best .566 winning percentage, while winning 11 American League pennants and seven World Series titles, becoming the most recognizable sports brand in the world.
A devoted sportsman, he was Vice President of the United States Olympic Committee, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors and a member of the NCAA Foundation Board of Trustees.
A great philanthropist whose charitable efforts were mostly performed without fanfare, he followed a personal motto of the greatest form of charity is anonymity.
Dedicated by the New York Yankees
September 20, 2010
Associated Press photos
B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L !!!!
Is that Boomer behind Torree?
it was really nice to see some of the past stars there. I am so happy Mattingly was there. It was a sight to see Tino and Mattingly walking near each other. That represented the transition to the team of the late 90s.
I am also glad Torre and the Yankees seem to have fixed their issues. If Torre is going to manage the Mets next year (50/50), he is going to be around.
Yeah, pretty sure that’s Boomer. He was walking with Reggie last night.
I still love Joe Torre…seeing him at YS (even the new one) brings back such good memories. Its funny how as time passes you (at least I do) remember more of the good and less of the bad about past relationships…I loved seeing both he and Mattingly there last night.
I’m sure I’m not the first to say this, but that’s way too big. It’s nice and all, just shouldn’t be bigger than all the rest.
Question: Anyone know why the Rays weren’t in the dugout, on the top step, during the ceremony?
I know that, for MOST ceremonies (ring, number retirement, etc) the opposing team will respectfully come out, occupy the top step, and at least be present for the proceedings. Witness the Angels, this past year, when the Yanks got their rings. It’s sort of a show of respect and class.
And George had a pretty big presence in Tampa (regardless of how he felt about the Rays).
But, lo and behold, the visitors dugout was empty. Did the Yanks ASK the Rays to stay in the clubhouse? Did they just decide to? Anybody know?
Doreen
Sternberg said they still have plans for a new stadium but didn’t want to go public with them at this time.
joe T and his wife look like each other – check out their facial features ! more pics of Hal’s wife please!
Just 3 weeks ago, the Yankees were shut down by the Orioles pitching staff in Yankee Stadium.
The Orioles held the Yankees to 2.66 runs per game.
I went through the schedule quickly and I believe that is the 2nd lowest scoring 3 game set they have had all season.
This happened at Yankee Stadium.
At that time Swisher was hobbling on one leg, Gardner’s wrist was barking, Tex’s hand and foot was hurting, and Cano was still in a slump and looked like he was lagging.
This team’s health is far more important than maybe having one extra game at home for the ALDS and ALCS.
I agree that the monument is too big. George resurrected the Yankees and definitely deserves a monument there, and also deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, IMO. But I don’t think his monument should be so much bigger than the others, like Babe Ruth, for example.
RiverAveBlues: David Robertson has appeared in 6 of the Yanks’ last 10 games and has thrown 117 pitches while giving up 3 ER in 6 IP.
Sounds like someone needs a couple of days off.
RiverAveBlues Chad Gaudin has appeared in 4 of the last 9 Yankee games. Javier Vazquez has appeared in 0 of the last 9. What?
Javy is MIA. I guess he is not in Joe’s circle of trust. But he’s done really well out of the bullpen.
He may be needed tonight but he might be more than a bit rusty at this point.
CC-
Is Javy injured, or possibly disgruntled ?
Why the disappearing act otherwise.
Why the disappearing act otherwise.
__
he was warming up last night.
Bullpen use is getting curiouser and curiouser. Laszt night was a perfect time to let Javy thry to throw four out of the pen. I agree Robertson has been used too much, but Girardi has been playing soooo many match up games it means everyone pitches just about every day.
Logan, Robertson, Wood and Rivera should all get tonight off…. that means Hughes, Javy, Mosely, Mitre, Dejo and Joba should be it.
Gaudin should get the rest of the year off.
By the way, what the hell happened to McClellan in the 5th inning. His strike zone all but disappeared all at once. Just ridiculous.
ac1-
OK. disgruntled then ?
I think Joe thinks he is saving Javy for a longer relief outing, expecting someone to struggle early and have to come out. We all agree some of the decisions have been questionable lately with the pen and the pinch hitting.
However, Javy hasnt exactly earned Girardi’s trust (not saying Gaudin has).
Ac1-
All you can say about some these moves is “whatever”.
I agree with others when they say that Javy has been pretty good out of the pen this year. maybe tonight is a good game to try and go with just 2 pitchers. Hughes for 6 and Javy for 3.
Javy has been good out of the pen…I would expect to see him tonight or tomorrow
CC
you beat me to it!
Javy has been good out of the pen…I would expect to see him tonight or tomorrow
**************************
Kate,
Hopefully not too early in the game
Kate-
Around here you need to be quick on the draw.
The last two games Rivera (42), Wood (40) and Robertson (35) have thrown a lot.
Logan really pitched in bad luck last night, but did throw 19 pitches the last two days.
I agree with others when they say that Javy has been pretty good out of the pen this year. maybe tonight is a good game to try and go with just 2 pitchers. Hughes for 6 and Javy for 3.
__
like i said, joe is waiting for what he feels is the ‘right time’. Nova got past the 5th last night so javy was less likely to get into the game unless tampa tied it up.
Did Torre tell Girardi to give Robertson the Tanyon Sturtze and Scott Proctor treatment while he visited?
Did Torre tell Girardi to give Robertson the Tanyon Sturtze and Scott Proctor treatment while he visited?
__
Man, people criticize Joe for not trying to win the game, then criticize him for going to his best relievers to win the game. Can’t win. Joba was unavailable, Wood and Rivera pitched. Logan pitched (didnt get any outs).
Then people complain when Gaudin and Mitre come in.
Pray tell, who would everyone like to see out there?
hard to blame Girardi when you bring in your lefty specialist and he doesn’t get any outs
has anyone heard anything about Andy? He should be starting the first game against the sox, if all went according to plan
Kerry Wood has been great since he got here. Cashman deserves a lot of credit for that move.
Seriously ac1, people are quick to point out the “poor” decisions Joe makes yet they don’t come up with a better solution. His options were limited as Logan didn’t record any outs. They won the game, I don’t see the big deal here. Calling him an “idiot” is just ignorant.
As Jerkface correctly said, those guys aren’t exactly all stars Gaudin faced in the 6th. If he brought him in to face Longoria/Crawford THEN you can have an argument.
I’m not saying I’m in love with all his moves but he’s navigating around a pretty tough schedule and the team was struggling big time with RISP. The O’s are not the joke they were before Buck took over, this was the first series they lost in like 4 or 5, before that it was Tampa and Texas on the road. If they win tonight they will be in 1st place heading into the sox series.
Tonight should be a Hughes/Vazquez night.
Use Mitre, Ring and Albie to close.
Give all the core guys the night off.
If it’s about resting guys in the pen, you can easily get 9 innings out of the above guys.
He’s waiting for the right time to use Javy? The guy hasn’t pitched the last 9 games. i’m sure one of those could have been the right time. Even with his down yr, Javy is a better pitcher than gaudin. Gaudin should not be getting more innings than Javy.
I also agree with everyone saying the monument is too big. It looks terrific but it should be 1/4 that size. I should have fit in seamlessly with Babe’s and Lou Gehrig’s.
I saw Javy warming in the pen Saturday night and last night. I guess he’s waiting for the right moment, he wants to get some length I assume and most likely a clean inning. Obviously I agree he’s the better pitcher but that doesn’t mean it was the better situation. Maybe Gaudin’s numbers were better against those guys than Javy’s?
According to Joe Lemire in SI, opponents have a .296 batting average against Gaudin with runners on base.
From si.com:
Of course, the writer does not seem to know that Joba was unavailable last night. And as we know, both Wood and Robertson were used in the game.
4. Monday night was the second straight visit to the Bronx in which the Rays were treated to ceremonies honoring the late George Steinbrenner. Tampa Bay was the first team to play at Yankee Stadium after Steinbrenner’s death after the All-Star break, and on Monday the Yankees unveiled the gigantic Monument Park plaque dedicated to The Boss.
But that Yankees’ luster and swagger celebrated in the pregame ceremony wasn’t built by pitching guys like Chad Gaudin in tight spots.
Rookie Ivan Nova was sharp until he ran out of gas in the sixth inning. Lefty Boone Logan was called out of the bullpen only to give up a run in his third straight outing after a streak of 25 straight shutout appearances. Then New York manager Joe Girardi called on Gaudin to protect a 4-3 lead with two outs and the bases loaded. Gaudin walked the first batter he faced, B.J. Upton, to force in a run and tie the game.
Gaudin is a serviceable long man, but he lacks the strikeout arsenal that would make him effective in jams. Opponents are batting .296 with a .376 on-base percentage against him when there are runners on base. That’s not the profile of a pitcher Girardi should have brought into that situation, even if it was only the sixth inning. Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson and Kerry Wood all have fared significantly better with runners on base.
The Yankees still went on to win 8-6, in large part due to Curtis Granderson’s continued rediscovery of his home-run swing. He hit two balls out to right field — his 20th and 21st of the season — for five RBIs, as the Bronx Bombers moved 1½ games ahead of the Rays in the AL East.
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....z10AsP0ZaJ
Fan poll from Tampa paper:
After David Price, who should be No. 2 in the Rays’ postseason rotation?
James Shields 15%
Matt Garza 21%
Jeff Niemann 4%
Wade Davis 25%
Jeremy Hellickson 35%
Talk about just throwing one of their “kids” into the deep end of the pool.
He should have used Vazquez last night. He was up and warmed up. He decided Gaudin was a “better matchup” (his words), and it was a mistake.
When you have a stretched out starter in the pen, there is no reason to have to burn out the short guys.
Yeah tonight Girardi is going to have to dip into the use of the expanded rosters and some of those extra guys in the pen. Just have to hold your breath as a Yankee fan and hope that these back up guys can get it done. I’m however very confident that Javy can give some solid innings out of the pen barring the rust factor.
It seems that Chamberlain is the de facto closer tonight, which is fine, but I hope Joe shies away from using him in any situation before the 9th inning of a close game to try to give him a little more rest. I think he’s thrown in 4 of their last 6 games, so it makes a ton of sense for him to not be available last night, and I would hope they try to give him a breather tonight unless necessity dictates bringing him in (i.e. tied in the 9th, 1 run lead in the 9th, whatever)
The hope is Hughes builds on his last start and gets them back into the 6th or 7th and then Girardi can use the lower-tier relievers to close it out. And, of course, the offense pounds Big Game Jimmy
Why does anyone care if people are upset with the game or not? Why do they need to be lecturing people as if THEIR way of enjoying games is better? Guess what – it’s not. You aren’t a better fan because you don’t worry and optimistic fans are not better fans than pessimistic ones. There is an implication in many of these posts that being criticial or negative is somehow a bad thing and that those who are should revoke their fanhood. Give me a break.
The reality of tonight’s game is while a win would be nice, not burning out Wood, Robertson, Logan and Rivera is more important.
None of those 4 guys should pitch tonight, regardless of the situation.
They have enough arms remaining in the pen to give them a shot in the game without using those 4 guys.
The problem with using the lower tier relievers now (and I agree that they should) is that none of them has pitched in days/weeks. Ring, Albie, Javy, Sanchez…..none of them have gotten a sniff. So who knows what kind of performance they’ll provide.
To say that the Yankees would have only scored a certain amount of runs in Tampa is something I disagree with……….So what? So they score fewer runs on the road – it’s not like they are a consistent offense at home. They aren’t – I’ve seen them go ice cold at home. It doesn’t matter where they are – they are not an overly impressive team offensively. They still have a good road record and that’s all that counts. If they don’t get HFA and they lose, it won’t be because they were on the road; it will be because they simply weren’t good enough.
“Why do they need to be lecturing people as if THEIR way of enjoying games is better? ”
Probably the same reason you are lecturing people for lecturing other people I would suppose- because it annoys you.
CC, I agree………………and why was unavailable last night?
If you only want to pitch the bad guys out of the pen, then this is a giveaway game and rest Alex, Jeter, Tex -whomever.
Excuse me Pat, but I’m not lecturing people – it’s annoying to be told that some of us are not as good as other fans and that we should revoke our fanhood. If you can’t see that, too bad.
Well what does worrying do for you? You can’t change anything. You have zero control over what happens on the field and zero control of what moves Girardi and Cashman make. The point of sports is to enjoy them, and while it’s tough to enjoy it when your favorite team loses, constantly worrying/complaining about the team you claim to like does nothing for anyone.
Why did they have to get it so big?
You can’t burn out the core guys every night in the pen.
Bottom line is, they have to cover 9 innings.
Hughes, Vazquez, etc are certainly capable of doing that for one night.
who cares how big it is ? does it matter ? without his money and desire to win & spend his money on players, who knows what would have happened since 1973. ya could have had the yawkeys
SJ-
We both know Hughes is gonna throw a complete game shutout tonite.
Tonight is a perfect opportunity to “step on the necks” of the Rays and get more separation. If not for the last ugly loss in Baltimore, the lead would now be 2 1/2 games.
A solid outing by Hughes and adjusting to the changeups from Shields with good run support is just what the doctor ordered.
No reason why the combination of Albaladejo, Ring, Vazquez, and Sanchez can’t close it out.
The Rays bullpen was used also last night but their closer is fresh. Let’s hope he’s not used.
Who cares what kind of fan you are, but some of you appear to be getting little enjoyment out of watching Yankee baseball.
Jason, I am not advocating that anyone worry – what I’m saying is that I don’t think it’s right for fans to judge other fans because they have a different way of going about rooting.
As to last night, ok we won – but there were plenty of reasons that last night was not more enjoyable – starting with the fact that the manager made a bonehead move by bringing in Gaudin. That was a sure sign that he wasn’t exactly trying to win the game
Hopefully I don’t get burned by the Hughes lovers, but I think Nova shows a lot better command and confidence in his offspeed pitches than Hughes (at this point).
Given the circumstances (Rays, Steinbrenner tribute, etc.), I thought Nova was excellent last night. Once he figures out how to mix things up when facing the lineup the third time, this kid can definitely be a #3-#4 in our rotation down the road.
I’ve been really impressed.
Craw, I refuse to make this about me, but Doreen ranted about how this board was last night. What was the big deal? There were reasons to be annoyed last night.
Betsy,
You’re annoyed every day.
SJ, I agree. I’ve been saying that Joe has to treat Mo like he’s been treating Alex – make him unavailable for a few days. Albie has hardly pitched – let him. If it costs us a few games, well the Yankees don’t seem to care about the division, so it doesn’t matter. Robertson, Logan and Wood definitely need a break.
Ok, so I’m annoyed, big deal. You totally missed my point, but whatever.
Hughes, Vazquez, etc are certainly capable of doing that for one night.
—————-
I agree. As I wrote earlier, if both pitch well, there’s no reason to use anyone else.
I don’t think Gaudin was a mistake particularly. It didn’t work out, but who knows, Javy may have given up a grand slam. Then everyone would be saying bringing in Javy was a mistake.
I like Gaudin. I suspect he’ll be on the post-season roster and t5hey may as well use him in tough situations.
I thought the tribute to George last night was excellent. Got a little dusty in my house at a couple moments.
Girardi’s continual use of Gaudin is baffling to me. If he was planning to go to him after Logan, he should have just left Nova in to pitch instead. No idea why he didn’t go to Vazquez either.
Yanks222-
I agree with most of what you said.
Nova has definitely exceeded expectations thus far.
He has 3 good pitches in his FB, curve, and CU.
Good mound mound presence, and he generally throws a lot of strikes.
I don’t know if I agree with you about his becoming a #3 type starter.
He definitely needs to work on his stamina and concentration but that’s not all that unusal for young pitchers.
Hughes has much better command of his FB. He can spot it to all four quadrants of the plate.
His secondary stuff is still a work in progress.
They’re both young; Both good ; And both ours .
You have to be happy about that.
Betsy, when you say “That was a sure sign that he wasn’t exactly trying to win the game” are you honestly saying that you think he preferred not to win last night?? Javy, if I’m not mistaken, has been used in clean innings, not with runners on. I’m sure he looked at the match ups and went with his gut and used Gaudin. Plus I’m sure he wants to back Hughes up with Javy as that has to be his preference for a long man.
It’s fine to question moves, that’s certainly any fans right, but saying he wasn’t trying to win the game doesn’t really make any sense to me. Of course he wants to win and his moves worked out in the end, just like they did last year.
The bases were loaded. Gaudin gives up fewer HRs and hits per 9 innings than Javy, has a substantially lower ERA and walks hitters at about the same rate as Javy. Sounds to me like a better choice than Javy.
It’s somewhat embarrassing how big George’s plaque is. Why not just make it the normal size? I guess his family owns the team and they can do whatever they want but still, he’s not a bigger figure in Yankee history than Ruth/Gehrig/Mantle/DiMaggio
way too big. the yankees were a great franchise before steinbrenner and they will be great long after. he should not be overshadowing some of the best baseball players to ever play the game in monument park. this is a baseball team, not a team of rich guys. i’m really disappointed that they did something this extreme.
Wave, it should have been Robertson or Joba………not a Gaudin type of pitcher. I would not have brought in Javy, either. Yes, I know now that Joba was unavailable – for some reason.
MTU September 21st, 2010 at 11:08 am
They’re both young; Both good ; And both ours .
You have to be happy about that.
__________
Agreed.
I certainly hope to see progress from Hughes with his offspeed stuff starting next year. Most of his troubles come from his over-reliance on his fastball. If he could master and execute his changeup more frequently, the sky is the limit for him.
If not, I’d hate to see him in the Burnett pool with only having one or two effective pitches every outing.
The problem with only having two reliable pitches is that if one is off, you’re going to get pounded. That’s pretty much the root of Burnett’s problem his entire career (and especially this year). I’d hate to see Hughes right behind him.
“It’s somewhat embarrassing how big George’s plaque is.”
Somewhat?
Betsy September 21st, 2010 at 11:15 am
Wave, it should have been Robertson or Joba………not a Gaudin type of pitcher. I would not have brought in Javy, either. Yes, I know now that Joba was unavailable – for some reason.
————–
Does it matter at this point? The Yankees won the game and it’s on to the next one.
Why waste your time and energy talking about something that didn’t effect the desired outcome?
Mike, I never said that I would have brought in Javy. Javy is a long man, not someone I want to see in big spots. As I said last night, it should have been Robertson or Joba. This has not been Joe’s MO for awhile; lately he’s been bringing in his better relievers in big spots, regardless of what inning it is. So then last night he goes to Gaudin? One of his worst pitchers?
I think Wood could possible close tonight. He still looks fresh. Obviously you want to avoid wearing him down. History of injuries etc. Robertson, Logan, and Mo all get shelved tonight.
I am still actively thinking about really gaining a strangle hold on this series and would like to use Wood.
Joba appeared in 4 of the last 5 games going into last night. This is not Joe Torre managing the Yankees bullpen. It made sense to give him a night off, considering the other core bullpen guys will need to rest tonight and possibly tomorrow.
I don’t think I buy this “third time through the rotation” stuff for Nova. I’m sure teams have a little bit of a scouting report on him now before the game even starts.
I think it’s fatigue. He’s at 180 ip now (minors + majors) and his previous two seasons were 139 and 148. Compare to Hughes at 163 ip, who is a year older.
Looks like Brackman is coming afterall, although not to pitch. Good move. I’m curious to see who the other players are that will be coming with him.
Pitching prospect Andrew Brackman will join the major league team soon, but will not be activated. Brackman will be among a group of minor leaguers the Yankees bring to The Bronx to work with the coaches, go through drills and get a taste of life in the big leagues, something the Yankees do every year.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports.....z10B527aCO
YankeeBlue, that’s fine.
As to today’s game, I hope Phil will pitch well………and I agree with your thoughts about him.
Wood is tired, I think….these guys are all tired. The Yankees have played a lot of close games lately………….
“It?s fine to question moves”
but arrogant to think you know all the right answers to the questions.
*third time through the **order**
Betsy, the bases were loaded. There were two out. All that was needed was an out.
Robertson has a WHIP of 1.491, vs Gaudin’s WHIP of 1.308. To get one out, wouldn’t you rather go with Gaudin?
Joba would have been an even better choice, but he doesn’t tend to get used that early.
Andrew, I hadn’t realized that until now…………..then the move would have been to bring Robertson in since he was warming up. Either way, I agree with the notion now that these guys should just be rested for a few days
No, because Robertson is a far better pitcher.
Somewhat?
—
Which adverb would you prefer? Considerably, fairly, pretty, quite, rather
It’s embarrassing that his plaque is so big. Better?
Was anybody else surprised to see Steve Swindal there last night after the divorce from Jennifer Steinbrenner? He was cut loose by the family at the time of the DWI arrest after being groomed, some said, to take over from George. (Was it just so he could see his daughter sing God Bless America in person?)
“No, because Robertson is a far better pitcher.”
If you need a strikeout he is. In general, he isn’t. And the Yanks did not need a strikeout in that situation.
I for one am still pumped about winning game one of this series. Huge game. Now the Yankees can play this game tonight how they see best fit with no added pressure. Whether that be to rest or not to rest. Hughes was sure great against these guys last week outside of about 3 at bats that just killed his effort. Mainly from Dan Johnson.
The go-to second guess would be to bring Robertson in with the bases loaded to get the 3rd out in the 6th, then have Gaudin start clean in the 7th, basically flip-flopping the roles of the 2 relievers.
The best-case scenario, though, would have been Boone Logan coming in throwing strikes and getting ahead in the count and possibly retiring one of the 3 non-world-beating left handed hitters he faced. Bad luck or not due to the infield roller and Dan Johnson’s single being a bloop, he has looked more like early-season constantly behind in the count Boone Logan in his recent appearances, as opposed to locked-in death on lefties Boone Logan. That to me is a bigger issue. Blame it on fatigue perhaps but they need to get that straightened out, and that’s more important than second-guessing bringing Gaudin into the game.
Muphydog, wondering the same thing. What are peoples take on this?
Patrick-
Look at it this way. If some aliens fly by the Earth they’ll know that George once owned the Yanks.
I agree with JM and Patrick on the monument. I think it completely appropriate that Mr. Steinbrenner have a monument, and I was glad to see the occasion used to welcome Joe Torre and Don Mattingly back. But there was no reason for Mr. Steinbrenner’s monument to dwarf those of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Mickey Mantle. All that achieved was to make Mr. Steinbrenner look smaller and remind people of some of his less attractive qualities.
Y222-
The only real similarity between PH and AJ is that they are both Yankee pitchers.
YMH is 24 years old and has a pitching IQ which is light-years ahead of anything Burnett could ever dream of having.
I do agree that Phil needs to get his secondary stuff down and he will.
Unlike Burnett, he knows he needs more than 2 pitches and is determined to master them.
Wait till next year.
UnKnown:
Well, they had Torre back and Boomer Wells so maybe it really was “bury the hatchet” night. Could Hal and Hank really want Swindal back to help with the business? Dont
think so. It would be uncomfortable for their sister Jennifer and it’s not like they needed him last year to win the WS. Probably just a courtesy to have him there.
agreed, obnoxious larger than life monument, hmmm, maybe fits the boss perfect
is it in arods contract to be the biggest monument after he breaks BBonds record??
they may need a new monument wing for the monuments to ego..
Remind me why and who gave James Shields the “Big Game” in his name?
I don’t believe that Steve Swindal was there out of courtesy. Steve and Jennifer are very devoted parents who reportedly been cordial since the divorce and are trying to reconcile. Hopefully someday the Yankees and the family’s financial interests will again have the benefit of Steve’s strong business experience and leadership.