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The New York Yankees could be for sale? That's what the New York Daily News says. Owner Hal Steinbrenner and the Yankee organization say that's a bunch of hogwash.
Well, we will let them argue about that. The real question is this -- if the Yankees really were for sale, who should buy them? If the Steinbrenners ever did decide to sell the most valuable franchise in sports, here are five guys we think would make appropriate owners for the Yankees.
1. Donald Trump -- Why? Well, because he is Donald Trump. The Donald could probably buy the New York Mets and get that franchise out of its financial misery, but why do that? Why not just wait and buy the Yankees? The Yankees just aren't the same since the death of George Steinbrenner. Trump would restore the swagger and make the Yankees easy for the rest of baseball to hate again. Besides, Trump needs to quit screwing around with hotels and golf courses, and buy something people care about.
2. Mark Cuban -- Why? If Trump isn't going to own the Yankees then Cuban is next in line among rich guys with big egos who love to own things and tell people what to do. And Cuban should own a baseball team, regardless of what Commissioner Bud Selig thinks. Why shouldn't that team be the biggest one out there?
3. Derek Jeter -- Why? Because there has been discussion in the past that Jeter would like to own a team someday, and he just wouldn't look right owning a team like, oh, the Pittsburgh Pirates. Besides, Jeter couldn't let Alex Rodriguez buy the team. I don't think any Yankees fan would be happy about that.
4. Joe Torre -- Why? Just to stick it to the organization that unceremoniously pushed him out the door despite the fact that the team got to the World Series six times, won four and never missed the playoffs in his 12 seasons as manager. Besides, then Torre could name himself manager, anyway.
5. Mikhail Prokhorov -- Why? The Russian billionaire owns the Brooklyn Nets, but that little play thing isn't really big enough for Prokhorov's considerable ego. He needs a real New York team. The Yankees would do nicely.