Hank Steinbrenner may try to boast and bluster like his father, the legendary ‘Boss,’ George Steinbrenner. Hank, though, just does not measure up. Check Derek Jeter’s response today to Hollerin’ Hank talking about Yankee players … ahem, Jeter … having bad years in 2010 because they were busy building mansions.
Jeter said he thought Hank’s remark was “funny.”
Personally, I just thought it was dumb. Since Hank’s much more professional and realistic brother, Hal, and General Manager Brian Cashman run the Yankees these days Hanks has little to do when it comes to the Yankees except spout off to reporters.
Jeter did his best to quell the storm Hank unnecessarily created.
“We can have a difference of opinion, but I didn’t sense that at all,” Jeter said. “I thought guys were ready to play. We just lost to a team that was better than us. That’s my point of view.”
“Owners can say what they want to say. They can have their opinion,” Jeter said. "That’s one of the things that you respected about the Boss when he was around. He had his opinion.
“Everyone didn’t always agree with the opinion, but you respected his opinion because he’s the boss. The same thing with Hank and Hal. They’re entitled to their opinions, they can say what they want to say; they’re the owners.”
Taking an obvious swipe at Jeter was not a smart thing for Steinbrenner to do. His father could probably have gotten away with that, but not Hank. It seems that every time he talks Yankee fans should be reminded how good it is for the organization that he seems to have no influence over any of the real decisions surrounding the team.