Post indicates Steinbrenner's dementia worsening

[jacksonianmarch]

By DAN MANGAN

August 3, 2007 -- A new report paints a disturbing portrait of Yankee owner George Steinbrenner as a befuddled, bloated old man in "dreadful" shape who bears little resemblance to the once-feared Boss.

An apparently addled Steinbrenner, 77, repeatedly said, "Great to see ya," to nearly every question, no matter what was being asked by a longtime friend during a recent visit, according to an upcoming article in Cond? Nast Portfolio magazine.

"I'm shocked," the friend, Tom McEwen, said later. "George doesn't even seem like the same person. I figured he might be in a bad way, but I never expected this."

Since purchasing the Bronx Bombers in 1973, Steinbrenner has made headlines and enemies because of his often mercurial management of the Yankees front office and his bombastic pro- nouncements.

In recent years, however, Steinbrenner has lost much of his thunder as his physical health and mental capacity has appeared to decline.

Last month, Post sports columnist Phil Mushnick wrote that, "All reasonable signs indicate that his dementia . . . is now so profound that he is being carefully hidden from public view."

Cond? Nast Portfolio writer Franz Lidz's new story focuses on possible successors to the Boss, including eldest son Hank.

Lidz recently gained entry to George Steinbrenner's home in Tampa, Fla., by tagging along with McEwen, a wheelchair-bound former Tampa Tribune sports editor.

"A solitary figure emerges out of the shadows, limping towards us," wearing silk pajamas and a terry-cloth robe, Lidz writes.

"Great to see ya, Tommy," Steinbrenner says to McEwen.

Steinbrenner says "Great to see ya," each time McEwen, 84, asks about the Boss' wife, sons and daughters in separate questions.

Lidz writes that "he looks dreadful."

"His body is bloated; his jawline has slackened into a triple chin; his skin looks as if a dry-cleaner bag has been stretched over it . . . His features seem frozen in a permanent rictus of careworn disbelief."

After snarling at Lidz that the then-struggling Yankees will "come around," Steinbrenner ignores the writer's question about whom he wants to succeed him.

"A few minutes later, Steinbrenner starts repeating himself again. 'Great to see ya, Tommy,' he says in response to every question. 'Great to see ya.' "

Steinbrenner's spokesman, Howard Rubenstein, yesterday said the repetition "might be a defensive mechanism."

"He doesn't want to give any interviews, and it's better to say, 'It's great to see you,' as opposed to 'Get lost,' " Rubenstein said. "I think George is in a good way. And it isn't right for someone to come in under false pretenses."

As much as you guys hated him, you dont want to wish this on anyone. With his successor being changed recently to keep it in the Steinbrenner family, and the YES network being up for sale, it is pretty easy to see that the stories of Big Stein being in rough shape appear to be true. Also, the fact that his publicist has made every single statement for him recently and he has been hidden from public view lends credence to their claim.

If the claims are true, then thanks for bringing the yankees back George and good luck.

[BoSox21]

Steinbrenner has always been one of those guys you love to hate, but strictly in terms of the rivalry. It's heartbreaking to hear about the condition he's in these days.

He's been one of the great owners in baseball history and for all the criticism he's gotten, you can't deny he has been 100% committed to doing whatever it takes to make his team a winner and a lot of sports fans can only dream about having an owner who's that committed to their team.

There's no doubt the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry wouldn't be the same without Steinbrenner and I wish him all the best. He will be missed by Yankees and Sox fans alike when he's gone.

[HeadOfSoxNation]

Ugh...yea...that doesn't look good.

I wish the Yanks the worst on the field, but deteriorating mental health is a tough thing to deal with for anyone and everyone involved. You hate to see anyone go through this, regardless of where his baseball allegiance is. Best of luck to Big Stein and his family.

[He Hate Me]

man, its so sad that he wont be able to age with dignity. I've heard about dementia and alzheimers and how it really tears some families up cuz of it

[26 to 6]

It's very sad an unfortunate that he's gotten to this point, but the Boss will hang in there and be tough.

Originally Posted by jacksonianmarch

As much as you guys hated him, you dont want to wish this on anyone. With his successor being changed recently to keep it in the Steinbrenner family, and the YES network being up for sale, it is pretty easy to see that the stories of Big Stein being in rough shape appear to be true. Also, the fact that his publicist has made every single statement for him recently and he has been hidden from public view lends credence to their claim.

Really? I hadn't heard anything about that, strangely enough. Anybody have any details?

[jacksonianmarch]

Originally Posted by 26 to 6

It's very sad an unfortunate that he's gotten to this point, but the Boss will hang in there and be tough.


Really? I hadn't heard anything about that, strangely enough. Anybody have any details?

it was reported a few days ago. The current worth of the network is considered to be near 3 billion.

[BoSox21]

From what I'd heard, Fortune reported it was up for sale but Yankees officials were denying it

[HeadOfSoxNation]

Originally Posted by BoSox21

From what I'd heard, Fortune reported it was up for sale but Yankees officials were denying it

I feel like I actually saw on the YES! Network where they said it was up for sale. I could easily be mistaken, but I swear.

Does anyone know if it's "I could be mistaking" or "I could be mistaken"? I think "mistaken", but "mistaking" makes sense as well.

[BoSox21]

its definitely "mistaken"

[Soxfan#1]

George is a great man. Everyone loves to hate him in terms of the rivalry, but everyone respects him. I respect him for donating to the Jimmy Fund every year. He's a good guy.

[riverside sluggers]

The same thing happened to my grandather before he died, I wish Georgey the best. Its dis-heartening to see someone you know and care about just slip away mentally