The radio shows have been kicking around the various ways to honor George M. Steinbrenner.  Most of the talk has been centered around the appropriateness of the patch to be worn on the front of the uniform above the NY on the home pinstripes and above the “York” on the road greys.

Personally, I think the patch is a little gaudy and goes against what George thought about the Yankee tradition.  He wanted everything to coincide with history. Clean cut, no uniform changes, no names on jerseys.  Generally the Yankees have honored fallen legends with a black armband (if they were a player of significance) and with a number on the sleve if they were a retired number HOFer (i.e. the black 5 when Dimaggio passed away).   George was not a player so I guess an armband doesn’t work, and he has no number so they can’t do that either. 

Bob Sheppard gets his own, overly complex patch

 In any other year I think a “GSM” patch or “The Boss” patch on the sleeve would have been appropriate, but with Sheppard also passing (and getting his own gaudy patch), George needs to be distinguished. I would have preferred a simple microphone patch on one sleeve (no name) for Sheppard and a “GSM” or “The Boss” patch on the other sleeve.   But we have what we have and I’ll have to wait to see how it looks before I disapprove.

As for other, more lasting, tributes to George, some were suggesting re-naming new Yankee Stadium “George M. Steinbrenner Stadium.”  I think that’s a mistake and goes against the Yankee brand and the whole “Yankee Stadium Forever” concept that they pushed on us when the old place was shut down.  Others have suggested naming a Gate after him (Too little in my opinion) and others suggested a monument or plaque in Monument Park.  I think Monuments should just be for players, and I have no doubt they will have a plaque out in Monument Park, but its so inaccessible to the fans.

The best idea proposed was to rename ”The Great Hall” “George M. Steinbrenner Hall”.  Its the grand entrance to the ballpark he built and would stand as a monument to his ownership of the team.  The Yankees could commission a 10 foot bronze statue of George in his glory days perhaps in his trademarked turtleneck and blazer standing proud.  Place the statue right in the center of Great Hall and plaster his name in big Yankee Blue letters above the ribbon board.  Replace the photos of the Championship teams over the ribbon board with a couple of oversized portraits of George with champion trophies and other ”inspirational” photos on the same wall and I think we are in business.