Rewriting History at Yankee Stadium

Watching SportsCenter this morning, I saw the celebrations around the last game played at historic Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.  As a Red Sox fan, I thought it seemed funny that the players were acting like they had just won the Series, although they won't even be in the postseason this year.  As a baseball fan, I thought the tribute to the venerable field was fitting and it's always wonderful to see the old greats come back and get their due once again.  But as a communications person, I was particularly intrigued by the reporter's comments that there was no mention of Roger Clemens during the ceremony.  Digging further today, I read that both Clemens' pitching prowess and successes and Joe Torre's brilliant and winning run as a long-time manager were not mentioned at all.  Asked this morning if he knew the "back-story" regarding the omission, the SportsCenter reporter said he did not.  Most, including Paula Duffy of Sports Examiner, are speculating that "the Boss," George Steinbrenner, was the deciding factor.

When you push back against the Yankees in any way you are persona non-grata. In the end, I believe it would have served everyone better to let all bad feelings melt away as the old stadium gets ready for the wrecking ball.

Duffy went on to note that:

Joe Torre left the Yankees organization on his own after turning down a cut in pay with an incentive package that seemed designed to force his resignation. And Clemens who was treated as a savior a mere 15 months ago when he came out of retirement to help get the Yanks into the playoffs became the new face of steroids use in baseball during the off season.

But the SportsCenter reporter commented that both Jason Giambi and last night's pitcher, Andy Pettitte, both tainted in the steroids investigation, got their share of the applause.

It seems as if the Yankees owners were applying the rule raffles sometimes have:  you have to be present to win.  Torre has better things to do with the Dodgers at present and Clemens may not have wanted to face reporters after the messy disclosures about him covered earlier this year.  But there was no excuse to erase both men from Yankee Stadium history.  It's a communications misstep in what was a great feel-good promotional event during a painfully bad Yankees season.

Take it from a Red Sox fan:  you don't want ghosts living or dead to haunt your new stadium, guys.  We've been there.  It takes a long time to exorcise them.