Dave Winfield, the player most closely associated with the rough, unseemly side of George Steinbrenner chose to recall the kinder, gentler version of his old Boss.
Not only that, but Winfield said he believes that in spite of Steinbrenner’s flaws, the owner deserves a place in Cooperstown.
“When all is said and done, and they evaluate everything — the revitalization of a storied franchise and all the championships he won — he deserves to be considered for the Hall of Fame,” Winfield told Sports Illustrated.
Winfield left the Yankees under bitter circumstances in 1990, traded away after a nine-year stint punctuated by Steinbrenner bestowing the moniker “Mr. May” on him for perceived late-season flops. Later, Steinbrenner was suspended indefinitely from baseball when he was discovered to have paid gambler Howie Spira for damaging information about Winfield.
“Ten years after I left, not a spoken word, not an olive branch, nothing,” Winfield told reporters at the All-Star Game in Anaheim, Calif., last night. “But in around 2000, 2001 . . . we got together in New York City and we talked and laid things out on the table that had never been said before. He apologized to me for the things that he did. . . . And our relationship changed from then on, and we got to know each other real well.
“I’m glad that I have a piece of calm that, as two men, we were able to come to terms and talk and respect one another.”