The way the Yankees are playing would make legendary owner George Steinbrenner, who brought storied franchise back to prominence in the late 1970s and laid the groundwork for future championship success. The pinstripes haven’t won a World Series since 2009, but Jazz Chisholm Jr.‘s clutch athleticism on defense and speed on offense – going from first to home on an Austin Wells’s single to help the Yankees avoid elimination and win Game 1 of their Wild Card series against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday –would make Steinbrenner proud.
Bo Jackson Says He Hates Yankees Because Owner George Steonbrenner Lied To His Mom
While posthumously he is revered as an owner who spared no coin, loved the fans and loved winning, there’s more than a few stories of players having issues with the way the Big George wielded his power.
Some bowed down to the power of his pocketbook. Others stood up to Steinbrenner’s iron fist and ego-driven tactics. While “The Boss” passed away in 2010, his memory lives on. So do the stories about why people either love or hate the Yankees AKA “The Evil Empire.”
A video of Bo Jackson explaining why he played so well against the New York Yankees throughout his career surfaced recently, and he explained that Steinbrenner’s dishonesty is what motivated him.
“It was your owner. He lied to my mom,” Jackson said. “Because I didn’t sign with him out of high school, cause I’m the eighth of 10 kids. I grew up dirt poor and had the opportunity to be the first in my family to go to college and I chose college over going to New York.”
Football fans are probably thankful that Steinbrenner fumbled the Bo bag in 1982, when the Yankees drafted the multi-sport star with the 50th overall pick while he was a senior in high school. Back then, becoming a pro didn’t automatically mean generational wealth for the family. Besides, Bo promised his mother that he would go to college and complete his education.
Bo Jackson Turned down $250K Bonus From Yankees To Go To College
According to Jackson, Steinbrenner tried to get Bo to sign with the Yankees and not play college football at Auburn by lying to Jackson’s mother and telling her that Bo had already agreed to sign with the Yankees. The lie failed, as Jackson chose to honor the promise he made to his mother and enrolled with the Tigers program to play football and baseball. In the process, Bo turned down a whopping $250,000 signing bonus from the Yankees and was so offended and outraged by Steinbrenner’s dishonesty that it served as extra motivation every time he played Steinbrenner’s franchise, taunting The Boss at every opportunity he got.
“Being an 18 year old kid who had only left the state of Alabama once my entire life, and that was to go to Atlanta which was only a two-hour drive. But to go from Alabama to New York just to be part of a three-ring circus because they had two other Jacksons in the outfield…Reggie and Papa Jack were in the outfield and he wanted me to complete his three-ring circus and I told him no and he didn’t like that,” Jackson explained.
Bo Jackson Has Career Day Against New York Yankees
Bo Jackson hit .251 with 49 hits, 14 home runs, 36 RBIs and 29 runs scored in 54 games versus the Yankees in his career. In other words, he torched them with regularity. In fact, Jackson’s most impressive day as a pro baseball player came against the Bronx Bombers when he belted three home runs and drove in seven RBI in a single game against them on July 17, 1990. On eof them was dead center and well over 400 feet, landing well beyond the outstretched glove of Yankees centerfielder Deion Sanders.
Bo was at the peak of his career then, hitting home runs in All-star games for the Kansas City Royals and sipping through NFL defenders, rushing for almost 700 yards and five touchdowns for the Raiders.
Everyone needs motivation and Jackson found his. “That motivated me, so every time I round third base I look at his (private viewing) box.”
The New York Yankees are trying to win one more game on Thursday and advance to the Divisional round. They have found their motivation in Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is providing the team with an athleticism, flair and overall knack for the moment that Jackson had once upon a time.
