That idea of County Commissioner Rose Ferlita and Tampa Councilman Charlie Miranda that Legends Field be named for George Steinbrenner seems to be perfect.

It seems fit and proper, as it was to name an earlier baseball field here for the late Al Lopez and when that went down in a park near Legends Field, they had a statue built for him at its entrance. Indeed if Legends is named Steinbrenner something, his statue can be cast now and put in front.

The naming of the baseball park will not be objectionable to him, but the statue may be, at first.

But it would be a thank-you move for bringing the New York Yankees to spring train here and for cooperating with us to put that fine facility out where there was a prison before. Many have forgotten that, but will remember now.

The Yankees were training at Fort Lauderdale and I was down for stories and a visit with my old friend. And he is that, arriving here in 1973 as a young man from the Midwest who had just bought the last-place, floundering Yankees, and he has run them ever since.  What a job he has done.

Back then, a bit later, he’d been away from the team for a while and I flew down on a Boss Is Back Day. I wondered if he might not want to move the team to Tampa to train. He liked the idea but said he’d need a place to play, since Al Lopez Field had been torn down after the Cincinnati Reds left and old Tampa Stadium was built.

Well, it was done, with the help of the city, Mayor Sandy Freedman, the county, baseball and so many in this aggressive place of ours. GMS III was so helpful and participatory in meeting with those with whom it seemed important to meet personally. Anyway, it got done and there it is, a gem of spring training. It is neat, utilitarian, admired, and surely contributory in ways to the success of the Yankees, always sold out, loved by all. It is on Steinbrenner Way to start with and simply should be named for him.

I have introduced him to so many gatherings. He is a genuinely fine speaker, surely now a Tampan, a romantic, plays the piano, went to Williams College and is proud of it, can fish well, tennis okay, golf badly, shoots straight with a gun and mouth, dresses like the executive he is, successful at most he tries, is tough, swell, blistering if angry, has a great smile and laugh, can tell a joke, and loves to hear them, loves kids and his wife Joan, daughters Jessica and Jennifer and sons Hal and Hank, good ones all.

Hank and Hal are now being given more and more command in the operation of his empire, including the Yankees where Hank, the elder, seems to be working in as a spokesman in New York where the media attention is around the clock. They are so far doing fine as their dad seems to have trained them well. 

George’s contributions to this area are limitless and admirable, aside from bringing the Yankees here and participating in the building of Legends Field.

Surely renaming the stadium for the man who built it and makes it one of the greatest training facilities in the world is proper. He would like it but will not admit that he would - that is the way he is.

George - as we all know him, as he wants to be known and called by kids and adults - named the place Legends Field. At the time, I don’t remember anyone suggesting the park be named for him. But now that Rose and Charlie have suggested it and are in a position to help get it done, let’s do it!