Hal won’t get Boss-y
SURE, HAL Steinbrenner isn’t as blustery as his old man was. But losses to the Mets still cut him deeply, even if they come in meaningless March exhibition games.
That’s why the Yankees’ loss to the Mets on Wednesday in Tampa made for “an unpleasant day here at Steinbrenner Field,” Steinbrenner said in an interview on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN Radio. He said similar things to Mike Francesa on WFAN, too, noting, “It does get to you.”
“They’re not counting yet. But, yes, it hurts,” Steinbrenner said.
Hal apparently learned from an early age that there is a real rivalry with the Mets and not just during interleague play or for cap sales.
“It’s been ingrained into our heads that you want to do better than the Mets and they feel the same way about us and that’s what makes it a great rivalry and great competition,” Hal told Kay and Don LaGreca.
Of course, George Steinbrenner probably wouldn’t have stopped talking about the sting of losing to his crosstown rivals. In his prime, The Boss might have put the entire clubhouse on notice. Or the manager. Or both. He at least would’ve delivered a backpage-worthy rant.
But, as Boss Hal also made clear, he and his dad are different.
There are similarities, though. Hal says he’s not bothered when the sports world wonders “What Would George Do?” But he also made sure to point out to Francesa, “People see me as not passionate — that’s certainly not the case. I may control it better.
“I keep it inside. But believe me, I tend to throw something at the TV, as most of our fans do.”
One topic that made Hal sound like he wanted to throw something at the radio was when hosts at both stations asked if the Steinbrenner family has plans to sell the team. Forbes magazine recently said the Yanks were worth $3.2 billion, tops among baseball teams.
When Kay asked if that made it tempting to explore a sale, Hal replied, “Michael, you know me well enough and long enough, what is my lifestyle? I love my ’67 Firebird, but how many can I buy? It’s not us.
“No, it’s not enticing in any way shape or form. It’s a family business. Many of us are involved from the family and we know this is what our dad would want, to carry on the tradition. We’re not going any where.”
Steinbrenner also told both stations that he’s expecting a big year from the Yankees and likes their blend of veterans with some of the younger players they’ve added. With Francesa, he, perhaps oddly, touted the Yanks’ Derek Jeter-less clubhouse as “probably the best we’ve seen in 10-plus years.”
But — again — he’s not his dad. When Kay asked him to channel The Boss and offer a pinstriped World Series guarantee, the response was not George but pure Hal: “I will not,” the son said.
“But I can tell you these guys realize that we’ve let the fans down the last two years and they’re disappointed, as I am, and this is a great, great clubhouse and great group of guys and they’ll be working hard from the get-go.”