The Yankees would become the team of the 1990s, and so it is easy to forget just what a bubbling mess of chaos and ineptitude the 1990 squad was.
They would have the worst record by any Yankees team in 77 years. They were constantly enmeshed in soap opera and distraction; mainly because that was the year George Steinbrenner had received what was then a lifetime ban by commissioner Fay Vincent for associating with gambler Howie Spira in order to get damaging information on Dave Winfield.
In what was to be his last act as principal owner, in late August of that season, Steinbrenner named Gene Michael general manager.