Derek Jeter Mansion Called Out by Yankees Owner Hank Steinbrenner
February 22, 2011 · Jamal Wilburg · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Hank Steinbrenner indirectly called out Yankees captain Derek Jeter and his newly constructed mansion on Monday.
Steinbrenner implied the team was not focused in 2010 and was hungover from its 2009 World Series championship, saying: “Some of the players are too busy building mansions and other things and not concentrating on winning.”
It seems more than ironic that he would make the mansion statement in the Yankees’ Tampa spring training home. Tampa is also where Jeter has just completed construction on his new 30,875-square foot waterfront mansion.
The mansion dwarfs the neighboring mansions on Davis Island.
Steinbrenner can claim the statement was not aimed at one player in particular, but it seems quite the opposite.
Jeter, being the class act that he is, laughed the comments off as being funny.
If they were truly distracted, the Yankees were perhaps the best distracted team of all time.
Last season, they won 95 games and secured a wild card berth in the playoffs. Then they managed to sweep the Twins in the American League Divisional Series. Their playoff exit was in six games to the Texas Rangers in the American League Championship Series.
If a team that fell two games shy of the World Series was not concentrating, then I would hate to see the concentration level of the teams that did not make the playoffs.
The bottom line is probably that Steinbrenner was looking to energize the Yankees going into 2011 spring training games and the regular season. He probably knew that Jeter could take a jab better than other players and they can begin chasing their 28th World Series championship.
Either that or Steinbrenner is still bitter from the way contract negotiations with Jeter played out in the media and public.
The world will see how focused the 2011 New York Yankees are once the first pitch is thrown and the new season begins.
Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com
Yankee Tickets
Shop Yankee
