The following essay was written and originally published on Twitter by Daniel Meyer (@astrosgameused) on August 14, 2020. It is published here with his permission.
For as long as I can remember, the New York Yankees were the team that everybody loved to hate. George Steinbrenner, their abrasive owner, was the face of the Evil Empire, with a track record that would have the 2020 Cancel Culture crowd up in arms if he were still alive today. Sure, the Yankees may be best remembered for spending the most money to acquire the best players, which resulted in 7 World Series titles during his time as owner, but the Yankees became hated far before they became winners, in no short part due to the actions of Steinbrenner.