LAS VEGAS — George Steinbrenner, so accustomed to winning during his time in baseball, is now 0-for-4 in his final competition.
The winter meetings opened Sunday with invitations to two new Hall of Fame members: Outfielder/designated hitter Harold Baines and closer Lee Smith, both of whom reached the 75 percent threshold in the 16-member Today’s Game Committee. The duo will join those voted in by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, a group extremely likely to include former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, on stage next summer in Cooperstown.
The Boss, whose undeniable impact on the game has been mitigated by his problems with authority, didn’t come close in this his fourth time on a Hall ballot.