Yesterday, I suggested Bruce Allen had gone further than yours truly in speaking ill of deceased Yankee principal owner George Steinbreeener, but as it turns out, Allen’s remarks were thoroughly mild compared to those of former Red Sox lefty Bill Lee. From Fanhouse’s Josh Alper via WMUR TV :
“As far as Steinbrenner’s passing? Good,” Lee said. “Trust me, if hell freezes over, he’ll be skating. … He may have been good for the Yankees organization, but he was definitely a thorn in my side. … He said I was an incompetent and I was bad for the game of baseball. Well, I’m not a convicted felon like George Steinbrenner, and he’ll take that to his grave. … I have no sadness. I’m Irish, I’m Catholic, and when you’re gone, you’re gone.”
“It’s important to remember that Steinbrenner was still a man with a family that loved him and cared about him,” opines Alper. “Celebrating his death, as Lee did during this interview, is in extremely poor taste.” Perhaps, but unlike many of those eulogizing Steinbrenner, Lee actually lived thru The Boss’ heyday and feels — rightly or wrongly — he was defamed. If the majority of the baseball establishment wishes to pay tribute to Steinbrenner, so be it, but Bill Lee will never be confused with a spokesperson for the status quo.