February 13, 2006

The Boss has a heart!: Arkansas kid was saving up to go to a Yankees game, but instead gave the money up to keep his school open. Steinbrenner heard about it and...

posted by roberts to baseball at 08:30 PM - 44 comments

I'm not a Yankee fan...& I've cursed Steinbrenner more than once for what he's done to the game...but I give George his "props" this time for doing a real good deed...I wonder if he'll send his private jet to transport the kid & his family & let them sit with him in the owners box also...

posted by phillyolhead at 08:56 PM on February 13, 2006

What a good deed George...

posted by chemwizBsquared at 10:27 PM on February 13, 2006

Kudos George!!!

posted by mdavidsf at 11:48 PM on February 13, 2006

"We're going to give him a New York Yankees welcome." Money and strippers? I kid!!!

posted by justgary at 12:45 AM on February 14, 2006

WOW i am totally surprised by this, i thought he was a DICK 24/7, enjoy it people probably the last time we'll see this

posted by chuy at 06:06 AM on February 14, 2006

I'm a Bosox fan, but that doesn't prohibit me from recognizing one human reacting to another human. Kudos, George. The man is an animal in business, but obviously has a heart.

posted by IRUNNIKE87 at 07:09 AM on February 14, 2006

Wow what an amazingly unselfish child. Kudos to him.

posted by jtrluva at 07:16 AM on February 14, 2006

Sounds like a kid that was raised right and will do great things in his life. I'm glad he can enjoy something special due to his responsible actions.

posted by dyams at 07:19 AM on February 14, 2006

Not surprised. George pays good money to his PR guys. Stories like this aren't meant to stay confidential. They're meant to sell tickets and papers. If wealthy George really wanted to reward this kid, he should match the 1000 to the school district. All of you who are saluting him for this are suckers......

posted by vbgjr88 at 07:21 AM on February 14, 2006

He also replaced Jonathan's $1,000. That's told us then. What a bunch of suckers we all are. I think it's a nice gesture, but I can't help but wonder if the kid wouldn't be better served supporting his local team (if there is one). Presumably then it wouldn't cost $1000 just to go to a game.

posted by squealy at 07:30 AM on February 14, 2006

vbgjr88 he gave the child $1,000 he replaced the money the child unselfishly gave up. Bottom line is he did a great thing. He didn't have to do anything. It wouldn't have created bad press nobody would have heard about the little boy from Arkansas. But of course there are always people that have to look for something negative in great deeds.

posted by jtrluva at 07:30 AM on February 14, 2006

You are still a sucker for defending him. I'm sure George can pull $1000 out of his right pocket. For the record, my quote explains that he should have matched the donation and gave another $1000 to the SCHOOL DISTRICT. He did'nt. This isnt a feel good story. It's a PR trick. My reason for believing this....it was publicized.

posted by vbgjr88 at 07:39 AM on February 14, 2006

I sure to the 13 year old boy it's a feel good story even if it was publicized. Regardless of why it was done it was still a good thing all around. Good on the boys part as well as George's.

posted by jtrluva at 07:51 AM on February 14, 2006

Oh come on. If he matched the $1000 to the "SCHOOL DISTRICT" as well and then gave another $1000 to Mother Teresa you still wouldn't be happy. It is permissable just occasionally to admit that someone has done the right thing, however much you might dislike them or their organisation. Or alternatively I guess you could just stick to your agenda and bad mouth him whatever he does.

posted by squealy at 07:51 AM on February 14, 2006

Okay. I will continue to bad mouth him.....PR move...nothing more.....

posted by vbgjr88 at 07:53 AM on February 14, 2006

Okay. I will continue to bad mouth him.....PR move...nothing more.....

posted by vbgjr88 at 07:54 AM on February 14, 2006

Okay. I will continue to bad mouth him.....PR move...nothing more..... A sentiment so nice, you had to say it twice. Okay, I can be a cynic, too, but what's the motivation here for the PR move? It's not like stories like this pour out of the Steinbrenner office every day, or even every year, and we're left with, "Okay, here's another media play." And it's not like the gesture is going to put fans in the seats -- when George wants to do that, he throws money at ballplayers, not 13-year-old kids in Arkansas. What does George have to gain from a PR angle here?

posted by BullpenPro at 08:03 AM on February 14, 2006

PR MOVE....

posted by vbgjr88 at 08:19 AM on February 14, 2006

PR MOVE.... Yeeaaahhh... got that. I'm asking you to substantiate it. Or is that it?

posted by BullpenPro at 08:21 AM on February 14, 2006

I still hate George, but yes he does have a heart. I think he is a regularly calls in on the WEEI Jimmy Fund drive each year and makes a nice donation.

posted by MPeter at 08:31 AM on February 14, 2006

"We're going to give him a New York Yankees welcome." So ... first the shooting, and then the mugging? Or is it the other way round?

posted by wfrazerjr at 08:41 AM on February 14, 2006

Sure, George has a heart...he ripped it out of Billy Martin's chest years ago. Sorry, can't help but take a stab at the Boss. He wouldn't have it any other way. Seriously, Big Stein does plenty of good deeds that we never hear about; if he chooses to do it publicly once in a while, well, hell, at least it's being done, so quitcher bitchin'[. And this from a Sawx fan...

posted by The_Black_Hand at 08:42 AM on February 14, 2006

Good move by Steinbrenner, even better move by kid.

posted by erkno11 at 08:52 AM on February 14, 2006

PR MOVE.... Why publicize it. Why not keep it as a simple reward to kid for his loyalty to his team and his school. Why involve the press. Answer: Good PR. Proof: You forgetting how he is ruining the sport and defending him for something that could have been done away from the public eye or ear. PR MOVE....

posted by vbgjr88 at 09:00 AM on February 14, 2006

Good God, man, the fucking horse is DEAD!

posted by The_Black_Hand at 09:10 AM on February 14, 2006

I thought it was. However, I will continue to get the last word in as long as anybody tries to defend this jerk. Childish I admit but....Oh Well... PR MOVE.

posted by vbgjr88 at 09:12 AM on February 14, 2006

PR move or not it was a good thing to do. The kid unselfishly gave away $1000, and we have no idea what he did to earn/save it. There is no way I would have gave that much money to my school when I was his age. He wanted to go to a Yankees game so it was appropriate for GS to do this. Now what's the quickest way to get back to Emerald city on foot?

posted by njsk8r20 at 09:21 AM on February 14, 2006

For the simple fact that I am waisting too much time at work and none of you are going to change my mind...I will stop antagonizing you all. NJSK8r20, I'll meet you at Dick's for lunch. Talk to you all on another chat topic. PR MOVE....

posted by vbgjr88 at 09:27 AM on February 14, 2006

I see it a little different, I assume he needed another write off, tax season is upon us! A PR coup could have happened had he contributed to the troubled school district too. Still a nice feel good story, but it falls short of what it could have been, I give it a C+

posted by directpressure at 09:27 AM on February 14, 2006

Why publicize it. As has been stated numerous times in this thread, The Boss does good stuff all the time without the fanfare. Maybe they chose to publicize this one because Steinbrenner is the ancillary good guy in this scenario. The real hero is the 13-year-old kid, so somebody else was going to get to shine here. Meaningless PR for Steinbrenner, great PR for the kid and the Arkansas town. Proof: You forgetting how he is ruining the sport I don't see how this is proof or even relevant to your argument, but just how is Steinbrenner "ruining" baseball? The guy's been around for over 30 years, and it looks to me like the game's still hanging in there. Are you saying MLB's been in steady decline since the early '70s? Maybe I should read more. Sorry, TBH, I hear ya, but if you have to beat SOMETHING a dead horse seems as good as anything.

posted by BullpenPro at 09:39 AM on February 14, 2006

Sorry, TBH, I hear ya, but if you have to beat SOMETHING a dead horse seems as good as anything. Well, at least somebody else finally has the riding crop.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 09:41 AM on February 14, 2006

vibrator girl stick it where the sun don't shine maybe he should give you the money so you can buy a new vibrator

posted by FrankySP at 09:48 AM on February 14, 2006

I'll bet the kid could care less if it was a PR move or not. Man, some people are just bitter and jealous!

posted by dyams at 09:54 AM on February 14, 2006

vbgjr88. We get it. PR MOVE. Whatever. Nobody besides you cares. It's a nice little heartwarming story that will be forgetten in a few days. Get over it.

posted by apoch at 10:00 AM on February 14, 2006

Does anyone think this was done as a PR MOVE?

posted by yerfatma at 10:26 AM on February 14, 2006

I'm going to file under: Random Acts of Kindness "No good deed goes unpunished." - Judge Judy

posted by njsk8r20 at 10:32 AM on February 14, 2006

Great Odin's raven, is it a PR MOVE?

posted by jerseygirl at 10:41 AM on February 14, 2006

"No good deed goes unpunished." - Judge Judy And that will be once the boy shows up to N.Y. and see's the rotten apple for all its true glory !

posted by trrron at 10:50 AM on February 14, 2006

Vic an' Frankie gonna settle dis once and fer all.

posted by DrJohnEvans at 11:12 AM on February 14, 2006

Why would vbgjr88 talk about finding Franky and not just do it? PR MOVE!! (Hey. Where'd he go?)

posted by BullpenPro at 11:22 AM on February 14, 2006

He got into his PR Move Delorean and went back to 1985.

posted by jerseygirl at 11:24 AM on February 14, 2006

Champions are ones who possess great hearts. This act could be indicative of why and how Steinbrenner keeps winning. The money is big, ultimately it is the heart that makes a consistent winner.

posted by Sputnik at 12:18 PM on February 14, 2006

I would like to apologize to everyone for turning this into a circus with my sharp smart ass remarks. I let my hatred for the man get the best of me and acted like a child during the discussion. My apologies again to all of you. (Even you..Bullpenpro and Jerseygirl). I would like to make a sincere apology to Franky for the threatening response. I am old school and reacted inappropriately to nasty name calling. My apologies again to all of you....

posted by vbgjr88 at 12:26 PM on February 14, 2006

I want a delorean...by the way think George would refund my money?? I was saving up to go to a yanks game, and had to donate all the money to the "keep miller drinking miller" fund

posted by miller at 01:59 PM on February 14, 2006

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