Steinbrenner Greatest Owner In Sports

George Steinbrenner passed away on Tuesday, nine days following his 80th birthday. He died of a massive heart attack on that Tuesday morning, and was pronounced dead shortly after. Steinbrenner was the owner of the New York Yankees, the greatest franchise in North American sports. Steinbrenner has been in declining health recently, which is the reason he turned over full control to his sons Hank and Hal.

Steinbrenner purchased the Yankees with a group of investors from CBS in 1973. At that time, the Yankees were long gone from their glory days of the 1950s and early 1960s. They weren't a good franchise at that time, with the Baltimore Orioles and the Oakland Athletics being the dominant franchise in the American League. That soon changed once Steinbrenner took control. He didn't waste time turning the Yankees into contenders.

He signed Catfish Hunter and Reggie Jackson away from the Athletics to huge contracts, and in 1976, the Yankees won the pennant but lost the World Series. However, they went on to win the next two World Series championships, and made another appearance in 1981. The Yankees had gotten their winning ways back, but after 1981, that would change.

Hunter retired in 1979, and Jackson left the Yankees after that 1981 season. The Yankees saw the dark days again, with the historic Yankee Stadium being half empty on many nights. Their lone bright spot, Don Mattingly, started his career in 1982. He retired after the 1995 season, in which the Yankees made the postseason for the first time since that 1981 World Series appearance. Steinbrenner was also banned for life from baseball in 1990 for paying someone $40,000 to find "dirt" on Dave Winfield, who had a tumultuous nine seasons with the Yankees.

When Steinbrenner came back in 1993, the Yankees showed promise because Steinbrenner let the brain trust do their work. The Yankees contended in 1993, and were dominating baseball in 1994 before the baseball strike. After being eliminated in the divisional round in 1995 to the Seattle Mariners, the Yankees went on to win four World Series championships in the next five seasons. The Yankees also got another championship last season, giving Steinbrenner seven in his years as the Yankee owner.

Steinbrenner was not afraid to outspend the competition, which forced other teams to pay their great players. Steinbrenner should be thanked by players for having high salaries today. Before the 2009 season, the Yankees signed P A.J. Burnett, P C.C. Sabathia, and 1B Mark Teixeira to over $400 million in contracts. Steinbrenner was all about winning, and bolstered the team's value as well. The Yankees are now worth over a billion dollars, which is a far cry from the $10 million him and his investors spent on the team over 35 years ago. He will be missed, not only by New York fans, but by everyone in the business. It's hard to tell whether his absence will impact baseball now, but if he wasn't involved in baseball, it wouldn't be the sport that it is today.

Lee Traded To Rangers

P Cliff Lee, who has been among the best pitchers in the American League this year with the lowly Seattle Mariners, has been traded to the first place Texas Rangers for 1B Justin Smoak and three minor leaguers. The Mariners also sent P Mark Lowe to the Rangers in the deal. It was looking inevitable that the Mariners were going to deal Lee before the trade deadline. It was just a matter of where. Other teams currently involved in playoff races have inquired about acquiring Lee.

It was reported earlier that the New York Yankees had a deal in place to get Lee. However, that deal fell through when the Mariners weren't so sure about the health about one of the prospects the Yankees were sending them in the deal. Lee was traded last season from the Cleveland Indians to the Philadelphia Phillies before the trade deadline. Lee helped the Phillies make an appearance in the World Series for the second consecutive season, but the Phillies lost to the Yankees. The Phillies won two games in that series, both with Lee starting.

Lee leads the American League in ERA with a 2.34 ERA. The Mariners were expected to be contenders coming into the season with the acquisitions of Lee, 2B Chone Figgins, and LF Milton Bradley. However, Figgins and Bradley have not contributed at all, and Lee has been the only bright spot. The Mariners now stand in last place in the AL West, behind the Rangers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Oakland Athletics.

Lee can definitely be the pitching the Rangers need to make the playoffs. It has been more than ten years since the Rangers last appeared in the playoffs, and their offense hasn't been the reason. They have always been productive offensively, but has suffered from a lack of quality pitching. Lee instantly becomes their #1 starter and a pitcher capable of taking them deep into the playoffs. The Rangers are currently being owned by Major League Baseball and are in bankruptcy court, so this deal isn't finalized. Hopefully, it will be worked out and Lee can pitch for the Rangers down the stretch.

Hamilton Won't Participate In Home Run Derby

Texas Rangers OF Josh Hamilton told a Dallas radio station that he will not participate in this year's Home Run Derby if he was picked to participate. Hamilton participated in the 2008 Home Run Derby at the old Yankee Stadium, and hit a record 28 home runs in the first round. What people tend to forget is that Hamilton actually lost the competition to Twins 1B Justin Morneau. The All-Star Game and its festivities will be held in Angel Stadium in Anaheim.

Players in recent years have showed their reluctance to participate in the Derby. It has shown to affect players' performances after performing in the Derby. The prime example of this has been OF Bobby Abreu of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. When he was a member of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2005, Abreu hit a total of 41 home runs. After the Derby, he was unable to be an effective home run hitter several seasons after that day. It also affected 3B David Wright's swing after he participated in the 2006 Home Run Derby.

Hamilton is currently hitting .337 with 16 home runs and 52 RBIs. He is a big part of the Rangers success so far in the first half, and he probably feels as if participating in the Derby will affect his performance. He is right. The Home Run Derby isn't popular anymore among fans as it used to be many years ago as well. It may be time to start thinking of removing the Derby from All-Star festivities, and it replace it with something else. But for now, that something else may be difficult to come up with.

Tulowitzki Out 6 Weeks

Colorado Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki broke his wrist in Thursday's game against the Minnesota Twins, and will be out for about six weeks. The injury occurred when Tulowitzki was hit by a pitch in the eighth inning by Twins P Alex Burnett. Tulowitzki's wrist will not require surgery, but the best offensive player for the Rockies will be out until August. The Rockies placed him on the disabled list and have called up Chris Nelson from the minor leagues in Tulowitzki's place.

This is a blow to a team who hasn't necessarily produced this season. While the Rockies stand at 35-32, they are in fourth place in the NL West division, behind the first place San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants. The Padres, Dodgers, and Giants have played much better than the Rockies so far, with strong pitching and clutch hitting. The Rockies have P Ubaldo Jimenez, who will most likely win the NL Cy Young award, but that's all they got.

The Rockies will need major offensive production from OF Carlos Gonzalez, who leads the team with 10 home runs so far. He has been missing the past couple of days as well after injuring his knee against the Twins. However, the Rockies will not do enough to overcome the three teams ahead of them. They were in the playoffs last season as the wild card winner, but they'll be spending October at home.

Orioles Fire Trembley

The Baltimore Orioles have finally decided to cut ties with manager Dave Trembley, firing him this morning after the Orioles got off to an awful start. The Orioles opened the season 2-16, already putting them in a major hole in the AL East division. They are currently 15-39 and have gotten swept in their last two series, both on the road to the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees. They only scored 8 runs in the six games in which they lost, an average of only 1.3 runs per game. Third base coach Juan Samuel was appointed interim manager of the Orioles.

After the 2-16 start for the Orioles to the 2010 season, it was inevitable that Trembley was going to be fired. It was just a matter of when, and it is a little surprising the Orioles waited this long to fire him. Trembley becomes the second manager fired this year. Trey Hillman of the Kansas City Royals was fired last month after a 12-23 start for the Royals. That is much better than where the Orioles are now, which makes it more surprising Trembley made it past the middle of May.

It was difficult from the jump for Trembley to succeed with this team this season. 2B Brian Roberts, LF Felix Pie, P Mike Gonzalez, P Jim Johnson, and P Koji Uehara have all been injured this season and spent time on the disabled list. Gonzalez, Johnson, and Uehara are important relievers, which is why they have more blown saves than saves this season. Roberts is the leadoff hitter and the best player on the Orioles, and he hasn't played at all.

In baseball, it is real difficult to turn around a bad team by firing managers. The manager is only responsible for making pitching changes and putting out the best nine hitters on a daily basis. Clearly, the Orioles being last in every major statistical category is a result of how bad the pitchers and hitters are on this team. Injury has played a role, but I don't think with the injured guys in the lineup that they would be contending right now. The only thing anyone can tell Juan Samuel as he takes over the managing position is good luck. He's going to need it.

Ump Costs Galarraga Perfect Game

P Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers was one out away from pitching a perfect game when he got SS Jason Donald of the Cleveland Indians to hit a ground ball. 1B Miguel Cabrera came off of first base to get the ball and Galarraga ran to first to cover. Cabrera threw the ball to Galarraga and he caught it with his foot on the bag before Donald. However, first base umpire Jim Joyce called Donald safe, sending all of the fans in Comerica Park and all of the Tigers players into shock. Tigers' manager Jim Leyland let Joyce have it on the field after the game, and Joyce admitted he got the call wrong after taking a look at the replay following the game.

This blown call from Joyce is reminiscent of a famous blown call made 25 years ago in the World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals. In Game 6, with the Cardinals up 1-0 in the eighth inning and up 3-2 in the series, first base umpire Don Denkinger called Jorge Orta of the Royals safe when he was clearly out. The Royals went on to win that game 2-1 and won Game 7 in a rout to win the World Series. Denkinger enjoyed a very long career as an umpire, but he is still remembered and will forever be remembered for that blown call.

Another element to this near-perfect game is the fact that there has been two perfect games already this season, in a span of only 25 days. Oakland Athletics P Dallas Braden threw a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 9, and Philadelphia Phillies P Roy Halladay threw a perfect game this past Saturday against the Florida Marlins. There have never been more than two perfect games in any season in baseball history.

Perfect games have been rare in baseball, that before Don Larsen of the New York Yankees threw a perfect game in the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, the most previous perfect game to that point came in 1922, when Charlie Robertson of the Chicago White Sox threw one. There also was a perfect game drought from 1968 to 1981. Galarraga's perfect game would've been three this season alone, combined with Colorado Rockies P Ubaldo Jimenez no-hitter earlier this season, and this season has been strange.

Lima's Death A Shock To Baseball World

Former P Jose Lima has died at the young age of 37, due to an apparent heart attack, in his home in Los Angeles. His death came as a shock to many, as he attended the Los Angeles Dodgers home game against the Detroit Tigers just a day before and looked in great spirits. Lima played for the Tigers, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, and the Dodgers. Lima's career ended with the Mets in 2006, when he was released.

Lima will always be remembered for his enthusiasm for the sport of baseball. He always referred to days he pitched as "Lima Time," and he was very exuberant on the field, just as he was off the field. Lima won 21 games in the 1999 season for the Astros, where he received his only All-Star berth. Lima's death has shocked numerous players born in the Dominican Republic, such as SS Jose Reyes of the Mets and 1B David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox.

Lima was an important piece of the 2004 Dodgers team who made the playoffs and won their first playoff game since clinching the World Series in 1988 against the Oakland Athletics. Lima pitched a five-hit shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 NLDS, winning the one and only game they would win, as they lost to the Cardinals three games to one. Lima has recently gotten in touch with the Dodgers organization, which is why he attended the Dodgers game on Friday. Lima's enthusiasm and passion for the game will be sorely missed.

Royals Fire Hillman

The Kansas City Royals, currently 12-23 right now and in last place in the AL Central, fired manager Trey Hillman. Special adviser Ned Yost, who previously managed the Milwaukee Brewers for several seasons, will take over for the rest of the year. Hillman's record with the Royals was 152-207 in a little more than two seasons at the job. Hillman was considered a great coaching prospect after spending 12 years in the New York Yankees organization. However, success never arrived in Kansas City, and he is the first manager to be fired this season.

Hillman is obviously taking the fall for a team with a lack of talent. The Royals didn't have many offensive pieces, and their bullpen wasn't very good to start off the year. Their best player, P Zack Greinke, doesn't have a win yet this season, after winning the AL Cy Young award last season. His ERA is at 2.15, which is very solid. However, Greinke has not been able to get any run support from the offense at all, which is the major reason why he doesn't have a victory.

The Royals have sat back and relied on prospects to get better, but it hasn't worked. The Royals have not even made an appearance in the playoffs since 1985, when they beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Management has been heavily reluctant to spend, and it has set this franchise back a lot. It certainly isn't the manager's fault for not getting the job done, because this team does not acquire talent. It's not clear if Yost will be managing past this year, but he won't be successful either with this team.

Howard Gets $125 Million

1B Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies has signed a new extension for 5 years that's worth $125 million. With this contract, he will be making $25 million a year, second to New York Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez. Howard has certainly put up great numbers since coming into the league in 2005. Howard is the fastest baseball player in history to reach 200 career home runs, and in his second season, his MVP season of 2006, he hit 58 home runs. Howard's contract can reach up to $138 million if the Phillies pick up the option on the last year of his deal.

While Howard has been a productive player, this contract is outrageously high. When Rodriguez received a 10-year, $252 million deal in 2000 from the Texas Rangers, that deal was also not smart. Howard strikes out way too much to be considered that valuable. While Howard has been productive, it has been the bats of 2B Chase Utley and SS Jimmy Rollins that has won them important games. The Phillies have been successful the past couple of seasons because they have gotten the job done as a team.

If Howard is paid $25 million per season, how much is 1B Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals going to make? Pujols is clearly way better than Howard and rodriguez, and he makes much less than them right now. Pujols is looking for a new contract as well, and they are probably going to negotiate during the offseason. Pujols deserves $30 million per season if those two can make that much. That puts pressure on the Cardinals because they probably can't afford that much money. That would probably mean Pujols won't be back with the Cardinals for much longer. We'll just have to see how it plays out with Pujols.

Rockies President Found Dead

Colorado Rockies team president Keli McGregor was found dead in his hotel room in Salt Lake City. He was only 48 years old. McGregor did not respond to any of his associates in the morning. When someone entered the room, they found him unconscious. Efforts to revive him were not successful.

The death of McGregor left the team in a state of shock. This man was only 48 years old, and has been with the Rockies since their inception to the league in 1993. 1B Todd Helton has been with the Rockies for much of that time, and built a relationship with McGregor. It must've been awful and hard for Helton once the news was broken to him.

Manager Jim Tracy didn't exactly know how to break the news to his team once he was informed. It is reminiscent of what the St. Louis Cardinals had to go through once P Darryl Kile was found dead back in 2002 in his hotel room before a game. Kile was the first active player to die during the regular season since New York Yankees C Thurman Munson died in 1979 of a plane crash.

The Rockies now have to continue the season with the death of McGregor on their mind. It's not an easy thing to do. The Cardinals made it to the NLCS in 2002, the year Kile died, but lost to the San Francisco Giants. The Rockies have a good team, so they should be able to be in contention this year. Only time will tell if this tragedy has an effect on their performance.

Mets-Cards Go 20 Innings

The New York Mets and the St. Louis Cardinals were involved in a baseball classic early in the season, which resulted in a 2-1 win for the Mets. Both teams did not score a run until the 19th inning, when RF Jeff Francoeur hit a sacrifice fly that drove in SS Jose Reyes for the Mets. In the bottom half of the inning, C Yadier Molina hit an RBI single to tie the game at 1. In the next inning, the 20th inning, Reyes hit a sacrifice fly to put the Mets back ahead for good. P Francisco Rodriguez, who blew a save opportunity, got the win, and P Mike Pelfrey got the save. CF Joe Mather, who was summoned by manager Tony LaRussa to pitch, suffered the loss.

This game is an instant classic, but it was eerily reminiscent of a game that happened exactly two years ago to the day. Two years ago, the San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies engaged in a 22-inning affair. The Rockies won that game 2-1 as well. Reyes had an eventful game, going 0 for 7, while being responsible for the winning run. This game was important for the Mets because they have not gotten out to a good start so far this season.

The Mets have been projected to have a bad season, but with baseball, anything is possible. It is also so early in the season, so the Mets have no reason to panic. They fought very hard against a quality opponent to get the win, so the Mets should definitely look at this game and build off of this game. As for the Cardinals, this is just one game. Their record is still decent early in the season. They will continue to get victories because they have quality pitching.

Rowand Breaks Cheek Bone

San Francisco Giants CF Aaron Rowand suffered two small fractures in his left cheekbone and a mild concussion on Friday after he was hit in the face and the helmet with a pitch. It happened in the Giants game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, courtesy of Dodgers' P Vicente Padilla. A CT scan revealed his injuries. It is not clear how much time Rowand will miss because of his injuries. Earlier in the game, Giants P Todd Wellenmeyer threw tight to Dodgers CF Matt Kemp. Kemp hit a home run off of him earlier in the game.

This injury is unfortunate for Rowand because he seems to be the player to suffer bizarre injuries. Back in 2006, when Rowand was with the Philadelphia Phillies, he made a spectacular catch but his face violently hit the center field wall, and he ended up breaking his nose. The Giants are off to a good start this season, and they are going to need Rowand healthy for the majority of the season if they are going to continue to succeed.

While this injury is unfortunate, there isn't much baseball can do to prevent injuries of that nature. Sometimes, pitchers lose control of the ball and throw wild pitches. That was the case with Rowand's injury. The only way to prevent a player from getting hit in the face is to put a face guard on every batter's helmets.