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R.I.P. George
You did a lot for Baseball and your beloved NY Yankees.......

I'm not really much of a baseball fan, however, I do have one George Steinbrenner story I can share... Several years ago WABC-AM radio was hosting a special charity gathering at the Rio Diner in Woodbridge, NJ... I was fortunate enough to have contributed and I received a great table right up front with the radio celebs and legendary comedian Pat Cooper... Back then the station had an on-air personality named Jay Diamond... Jay had an incredible talent for doing voice impersonations... Jay got George Steinbrenner on the phone and he impersonated the voice of NY Yankee legend Phil Rizzuto (the P.A. system was rigged so everyone in the diner could hear the phone conversation-- and it was also being broadcast live on the air)... Phil Rizzuto was a famed shortstop for the NY Yankees who later became the team's TV announcer, he made up his trademark expression "Holy cow!"... Rizzuto and Steinbrenner knew each other for many, many years... Anyways, while Jay Diamond was doing his impeccable Phil Rizzuto impersonation, while talking to George Steinbrenner on the phone, Jay started the conversation in a very normal and predictable manner, then eventually, Jay began to say things that Phil Rizzuto would probably NEVER say to George Steinbrenner!!-- Really weird "off color" stuff-- And since George Steinbrenner knew the conversation was being broadcast live, Steinbrenner did his best to remain calm and a gentleman, it was VERY VERY FUNNY the way Steinbrenner was trying to deflect the "off color" remarks with such grace-- I guess it was a case of "Ya had to be there"-- But it was EXTREMELY FUNNY... I give Jay Diamond lots of credit for pulling it off like the pro he is-- And I also gained lots of respect for George Steinbrenner, because it was a charity event, and Steinbrenner managed to keep his cool through the very strange and uncomfortable stuff that Jay was throwing at him-- And I assure you that Steinbrenner DID indeed believe he was talking to Phil Rizzuto... The whole thing was very entertaining to say the least... I'll never forget it for as long as I live... And like I said, it gave me much respect for the man that was George "The Boss" Steinbrenner, the way Steinbrenner managed to keep his cool through it all demonstrated to me what a class act he really was... May he rest in peace... "The Doc" (Celebrity Drag Racing Authority & Visionary)...

Funny deal... bp

After moving from Tampa in '65 to the Frisco Bay area, I developed a love for the Oakland A's. As such a fan, I HATED the Yankees. ( I didn't care too much for the Giants across the bay either...'cept when they were playing the Dodgers)...but then the A's traded a couple of my heros, Reggie Jackson and Jim "Catfish" Hunter, to those same hated Yankees and I pretty much lost interest all together...until I moved back to Georgia and discovered the Braves.

FOlks may not have liked "The Boss" but he DID do a great deal of good for NY baseball...He will be missed. Condolences to his family and friends.