Too Short for a Blog Post, Too Long for a Tweet 289

 

Here are a couple of quotes from a book I recently read, "Talking to GOATs  The Moments You Remember and the Stories You Never Heard," by Jim Gray.

 

Over Kobe’s twenty-year career, the two rarely spoke, despite their close proximity. I asked Jack why. “I love Kobe, but I’m not a backstage guy,” Jack said. “I don’t go into the locker room. I’m not looking to hang out with any of these guys, or interfere in anyone’s life. I like it that he is all business all the time. He wants to win. And I want to watch. This is my entertainment, not my social circle. I always hated when someone would come into my trailer during a movie, or want to come on the set. It’s a distraction. I’m trying to concentrate on my job. So I didn’t ever want to interrupt, for the same reason I didn’t want to be interrupted.”

I changed my clothes and got ready for bed. At about one thirty in the morning, I heard a knock on my door. I thought it was the security guard. Maybe he needed to use the restroom or something. I opened the door. It was Steinbrenner. 

“Jim, can I come in?” 

“Sure.” 

Still in his suit and tie, not a hair out of place, he took a few steps inside. I stood there in my shorts, stunned. 

“I want you to know a few things,” George said. “First of all, I didn’t think that interview was that bad. Second, what happened tonight at the stadium doesn’t represent the way the New York Yankees organization feels about you. It doesn’t represent my feelings. You are always welcome at Yankee Stadium. And don’t worry about that player and what he said tonight. He won’t be around here much longer.” 

He continued. “If we are fortunate enough to win this series—and I’m very cautious about counting on anything before it happens—there will not be a single Yankee who will act inappropriately during the trophy presentation. Every New York Yankee from Joe Torre on down will treat you with respect and courtesy. You have my word. You’ve done a great job for a long time. I will stand beside you for the entire ceremony.” 

He held out his hand and we shook. You find out a lot about people in situations like that. You find out what they are beneath the images presented by the media. George was, of course, a polarizing figure, a man forever known as the Boss—and the nickname cut both ways. He defended traditional values. Players on his team couldn’t wear long hair or grow beards. One of his favorite expressions was, “If you don’t have a hernia, you’re not pulling your fair share.” But he also became a caricature, firing twenty managers in his first twenty-three years as owner and once posing as Napoleon on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Those loyal to him will point to the seven World Series championships secured during his tenure. His detractors bristle that he did little more than buy them by luring free agents with outrageous salaries. 

That night, when he stuck out his hand, George Steinbrenner was simply a man who could be trusted. I’ll never forget that, either.