Recently, the New York Yankee organization has been mired in a number of peculiar events. It first started when Brian Cashman signed a three year contract to come back as general manger after strong rumors that he would walk and seek an environment that was less controlled. Next, were the uncharacteristic off-season actions by Yankee brass as they sat shrewdly on the sidelines while teams such as the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox and New York Mets spent liberally on lavish free agents. The Yankees passed on the temptation of overpaying for a premier reliever to set-up Mariano Rivera and opted for a more efficient investment in Kyle Farnsworth. This then allowed B.J. Ryan and Billy Wagner to sign blotted contracts with their rivals. Also, they patiently waited out Scott Boras and singed Johnny Damon for a more realistic four years instead of seven. Finally, they have prudently displayed confidence in a rotation that may rely heavily on names such as Chacon, Wang and Small. Relative to most other ball clubs this would be an eventful off-season, but for the Yankees this is not the typical modus operandi.

This has been one of the Yankee’s most practical and successful off-seasons in some time. They have addressed the team’s needs in the bullpen and brought in a capable center fielder that has created a top of the order that is reminiscent of the Knoblauch years. Management was careful not to over spend which will allow them to add that important missing piece (whatever it may be) later in the season. The Yankees like most years will be the favorite, but I believe it is more credible with this group of players.

So, has George Steinbrenner finally learned after all these years that it’s best to let the baseball people run the show? Steinbrenner is an old dog and we know what that means. The answer may be much simpler than that. From what I understand, and this is not just speculation, is that George Steinbrenner does not have the same control and authority over the team as he has had during his thirty-two year reign. Word is that unfortunately Mr. Steinbrenner is not in the same state as he was just a short time ago. Memory lapses and his inability to function as he once did are altering the club’s direction. Mr. Steinbrenner will be 76 in July and we can expect a gradual exchange of power to Steve Swindal, Steinbrenner’s son-in-law and expected future owner of the Yankees. This is not to imply that because of Mr. Steinbrenner’s age he will not maintain an influence over the club, Willington Mara disproved that notion, but we may never see, for better or worse, the Bronx Zoo again. There is no denying that during his time as owner of the most prestigious franchise in all of sports, Steinbrenner had his good and bad times, but overall he was an asset to the game because he could evoke emotions like no other owner in recent history. When the day does come and Steinbrenner is officially gone, whether you love him or hate him, I think we can all agree the game won’t be the same.