Politi: Hank Full of Hot Air

Steve Politi of the Star Ledger can always be counted on for an interesting feature. Yesterday, he was one of the many members of the media who had a sit down with Hank Steinbrenner after the prince's recent comments.

As we're sure you already know Hank blasted the Yankees lackluster play and threatened to force them to play better. As Politi shows, Hank never backs up his words with actions like the old man did.

Maybe we just miss his old man. The angry shouts from George Steinbrenner were the stuff of legend. They defined life for an entire generation of Yankees fans. We waited for him to call Hideki Irabu a "fat toad" or to dub Dave Winfield "Mr. May." That Boss has been MIA for years now.

He said, in October, that under no circumstances would Alex Rodriguez return as the third baseman for the Yankees. "If a player doesn't want us, we don't want him," Hank said. "That chapter is closed."

Result: Rodriguez is the third baseman for the Yankees.

He made it clear throughout the offseason that he was willing to trade one of his top pitching prospects -- and, as it turns out, he was absolutely right -- to get Johan Santana from the Twins.

Result: Santana is pitching for the Mets.

He told me in January that he would be at Yankee Stadium "a lot" during the season, unlike his father in recent years. "It's absolutely critical for the players to know the owner is there," he said, "and for the fans to know the owner is there."

Result: He has yet to attend a game in the Bronx.

He insisted Joba Chamberlain would be in the starting rotation at the start of this season, and then last month, took that up a level when he said he wanted his young star starting games "now."

Result: Chamberlain is still in the bullpen.

His father fired managers and chased players out of town. Hank still supports manager Joe Girardi -- "Joe is playing with the deck he's been dealt," he said -- but even if he didn't, he would have to clear it with his brother, Hal. And, for that matter, with his father.

"I'll make my judgments at the end of the season -- that's the way you should do it in a business," he said. "I'm not doing what my dad did and just tear apart everybody. I thought it was constructive criticism and stating the obvious."

"I guarantee you we're going to make a run," Steinbrenner said. "We have too much talent to not do that."

This just in: The new boss promises a big run! Don't stop the presses.

Yes indeed, Hank is proving that his alter ego is Captain Obvious.

Share