George Steinbrenner Guarantees Yankees Will Win World Series

by Justin Fuqua
3/1/06

So George Steinbrenner promises that the Yankees are going all the way this year.  Any other owner proclaiming such a thing might get some jabs thrown at him.   But with George, all I can do is shrug.  I can't totally discount him.  How many other owners do you know who have hosted Saturday Night Live?   That's cred in my book.   

There were times last season when it looked like the Yankees wouldn't even make the playoffs, but they fought back and did.   They didn't go far but if the Yankees don't make at least the playoffs these days, a commandment has been broken.

So will they actually do it?  Who knows?  When you spend what will surely be over $200 million again, it's hard to count them out.   After TV ratings showed that no one cared when the White Sox won the World Series last year, it's probably in the best interest of Major League Baseball to see the Yankees return to the top.   They are baseball's soap opera.  There isn't a starter who couldn't fill a human-interest story.  Derek Jeter dates Hollywood.  Gary Sheffield was a sex addict.  We watched Jason Giambi say sorry over and over again.  If he wasn't a Yankee, we probably wouldn't care as much.

But in the end, 162 games still remain.  George's words will fade in time.   Unless they really do go all the way, then we'll never hear the end of it.

This guarantee could live in fame or infamy.