Back in ’95 I was a Yankee fan, a pretty big one (ask my friends). George had been banned from baseball for a couple of years (thank you Howie Spira) and Gene Michael and Buck Showalter were free to do their jobs to the best of their ability and as a result, the Yankees actually got better, had a bunch of home grown stars and wound up in the playoffs that year (for the first time in a long time).

Well, George came back, Don Mattingly was unceremoniously shown the door, Buck Showalter was let go (pointedly), Randy Velarde left, Mike Stanley left, it was frustrating, a step backwards to the days when George would meddle and make it hard to be a Yankee fan.

Gene Michael had done his work though and with a core of Paul O’Neil, Scott Brosius and Tino Martinez (who I never really liked for replacing Mattingly) the Yankees became winners.

George is one of those grass is always greener guys, the other teams’ players always look better to him (that’s why the Yankees went out and got Tino Martinez after Seattle came from behind to beat them in the playoffs). Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter are Yankees through and through.

So was Andy Petite.

As I said in an earlier post, I had salivated over the Mets possibly getting Petite. He’s been a good pitcher throughout his career and he’s still a young guy (only 31). He keeps his mouth shut, works hard and at the end of the season always puts up some respectable numbers. You really couldn’t ask for more out of a pitcher and if I were a GM I wouldn’t mind having a staff of guys like that - I don’t need crybaby millionaires bemoaning their lot in life.

Well, Dandy Andy is gone now and nobody looks worse than old meddling George. Kevin Brown is 8 years older, right handed and gets $15 million per year for what has proven to be a very fragile body.

Makes me glad to be a Mets fan.

The only thing that could possibly make it worse would be if Andy can convince his pal (the despicable) Roger to pitch for the hometown team. All of a sudden the Astros wind up with a deep rotation.

Thanks George.