The rift between Yogi Berra and George Steinbrenner has healed and Bernie Williams made his first appearance last night after refusing to come back for two years, but there were glaring omissions in the roster of names and faces paraded around the infield of the stadium as it closed its doors forever.
In a move that reminded me of a Communist party whitewash the names of Joe Torre, the second winningest manager in Yankees history and Roger Clemens, a former darling of the Steinbrenner family weren't uttered during the hour long pre-game ceremony.
Torre was back in Los Angeles managing his new team, the Dodgers and Roger Clemens, well he's in hiding somewhere after a righteous campaign to clear his name turned ugly with marital infidelity revelations.
Joe Torre left the Yankees organization on his own after turning down a cut in pay with an incentive package that seemed designed to force his resignation. And Clemens who was treated as a savior a mere 15 months ago when he came out of retirement to help get the Yanks into the playoffs became the new face of steroids use in baseball during the off season.
Obviously Torre wasn't going to leave Los Angeles for the occasion but the refusal to acknowlede his massive contribution to the organization as the all time great managers' names were spoken over the public address system was pure vindictiveness.
Clemens may be a cheat, but he's the Yankees' cheat and with Giambi and Pettite featured as two members of the last starting lineup to be fielded at this incarnation of the stadium, it was incongruous for him to be exlcluded. If the Yankees asked him and he declined in an effort to avoid a potential note of controversy then I can understand. But nothing that has surfaced in the news indicates that happened.
I have been a Yankees fan my entire life and there are times that it is just hard to like the folks in charge. They stepped up, forked over the money and gave us incredible moments of joyous victory. But humility and humanity have been and still seem to be qualities the Steinbrenner family lacks. Don't be fooled by the appearance of Babe Ruth's daughter, Don Larsen and Thurman Munson's family. When you push back against the Yankees in any way you are persona non-grata. In the end, I believe it would have served everyone better to let all bad feelings melt away as the old stadium gets ready for the wrecking ball.
Read Pete Sabatini's great articles about the entire weekend of memories.
Comments
Well said. Every true Yankee fan would agree that the organization should have featured BOTH Joe and Roger as all-time Yankee Greats. In fact, the crowd assembled would have stood and applauded for ten minutes or more if either of them would have taken the field last night as they should have. The Dodgers would have allowed it and the Commish should have been told to stick it as far as Clemens was concerned. Hats off to both of them and shame on the Yankee brass.
Ed: right back at you. I know the fans would have welcomed both of them. I'm out here in LA now and Joe was asked by local reporters if he expected to be asked back. He said he highly doubted it.
Amen.
The omission of Joe Torre was inexcusable unless he was offered and declined because of "other commitments" which seems unlikely. Clemens, on the other hand, I can understand from either perspective. I don't think you can call him one of the Yankee Greats in the same way as Rivera, Jeter, et al. He was a hired hand who certainly contributed but followed the money throughout his entire career. I think when you do that, you forfeit your right to be in a pantheon.
Chowdahead: I gave that some thought since he took refuge with the Astros for a bit as well. And I believe if had made it to the HOF it would have been with a Boston hat on. It was the last stint as a Yankee that sealed for me how much he was revered by the Steinbrenners and the place he held in their pocketbook.
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