Fun With Archives, Part 2.

Mike Lupica on December 12, 2003: "George doesn't know Astro
from his elbow."

Mike Lupica on December 14, 2003: "Steinbrenner, gutless as always, sent Cashman out to talk about Pettitte walking away from the Yankees the other day.
The owner? The one who likes to think of himself as George Patton instead of George Steinbrenner? He somehow managed to spend the day hiding under his desk, dictating press releases.

And some Yankee fans will tell themselves it is all right, as long as the team wins between 95 and 100 games a year. They will tell themselves it is all right to root for Kevin Brown, and Kenny Lofton.
They will continue to believe that somehow the pinstripes make everyone noble, that the end always justifies the means.

But smart ones know differently. They don't believe the pathetic conspiracy theories put out there about Pettitte in the media by Steinbrenner's lap dogs. They don't believe that the Yankees didn't sign Pettitte because of concerns about his elbow.

They were Torre's Yankees, and even Yankee haters liked them. They are back to being Steinbrenner's Yankees. Bring them all in now, Brown and Lofton and Sheffield. Pay whatever is necessary and then peddle them to the fans as the Yankees. Keep selling that oldtime religion. Yankee fans, smart ones, know way better."



It's at least a little ironic that a weasel like Lupica would feel comfortable calling another man "gutless" (in this case, George Steinbrenner). Oddly, I've never seen any comeuppance from Lupica regarding Pettitte's elbow. I guess I'll just have to do it for him.

Or, as Lupica would write:

"And.

I'll.

Just have to.

Do it.

For him."


Fanball Staff may not be correct when they claim that they "wouldn't be surprised to hear that season ending surgery is needed," but they're probably a lot closer to the truth than gutless Lupica.


Also, I will take this opportunity to proudly proclaim that I must be a stupid Yankee fan. While I certainly don't believe that wearing the pinstripes makes anybody "noble" -- including Paul O'Neill, Don Mattingly, Andy Pettitte, etc. -- I feel quite comfortable rooting for the likes of Kevin Brown and Kenny Lofton. I'll even root for MVP Candidate Gary Sheffield, though Lupica thinks he's not a "Torre Yankee."

I guess Sheffield is the type of player that real Yankee-Haters actually hate (God bless him for that). As opposed to Andy Pettitte. Even real Yankee-Haters liked Andy Pettitte. Which would make them very devout Yankee-Haters in the first place. Lupica understands, Lupica knows way better. Because he's smart.

As long as the Yankees win between 95 and 100 games each year (unlike some teams I can think of), then I want to sing from the mountain tops. Testify with me, fellow stupid Yankee fans. Everything is alright!