Public Figure Resents Comparison To Public Figure



Bill Madden and Anthony McCarron of the Daily News report that George Steinbrenner, angry at being compared to Don Rickles, will file a grievance against Boston owner John Henry.

Steinbrenner, the sources said, feels that Henry violated an edict from Bud Selig last Thursday by talking to reporters again about the verbal beanballs the two sides have been throwing at each other. Selig told both men to shut up when their sniping got white-hot.

It all started when Henry, a former limited partner in the Yankees, sent an E-mail to reporters saying that baseball should have a salary cap to deal with the Yankees' "insane resources." He added that the game "didn't have an answer for the Yankees."

An angry Steinbrenner released a statement that chided the Sox for losing out on Alex Rodriguez, the star who once seemed destined to be traded to Boston.

"We understand that John Henry must be embarrassed, frustrated and disappointed by his failure in this transaction," Steinbrenner's statement read. "Unlike the Yankees, he chose not to go the extra distance for his fans in Boston. It is understandable, but wrong, that he would try to deflect the accountability for his mistakes onto others and to a system for which he voted in favor.

"It is time to get on with life and forget the sour grapes."

That's when Selig stepped in, insisting that both parties pipe down. Henry released a statement that talked about focusing on events on the field and the Yankees said they'd have no further comment.

But on Saturday, Henry addressed reporters on the matter at Sox spring training in Fort Myers. Henry told scribes he "kept chuckling" when Selig read him Steinbrenner's scathing statement. He likened The Boss to The Mouth, saying, "If Don Rickles insults you, it's funny. But I don't mean that in a negative way. I've always laughed."



(after a scary collapse at Otto Graham's funeral, Steinbrenner is looking like his his old self)

Posted: Mon - February 23, 2004 at 05:34 PM      

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