• $62,125 in other words, market value source

• » Why was he nailed? Simple. The five tickets, which were given to him by the Yankees, represented a conflict of interest, due to the fact that the state does business with the Yankees in multiple ways. Oh, also, he lied about intending to pay the Yankees back for the tickets, something which was widely refuted by others, including members of his own staff. Basically, if you’re a politician, you probably shouldn’t take free tickets for anything.

• He just turned 80 the other day. Say what you will about the guy (and people had lots to say about him during his 37-year reign), but the Yankees owner knew how to win. He knew how to get the right players, put the right people in place and win the World Series, much to the chagrin of every other team out there. He died of a heart attack last night. Some key facts:

• sevennumber of World Series under Steinbrenner’s reign
• 11 number of pennants his teams won over nearly four decades
• $1.6B the amount it cost to put together that kind of record

His pop-culture place

• He was a constant figure on “Seinfeld.” Well, kinda. When George Costanza worked with the Yankees, he was a source of parody, never actually seen onscreen but always worth a laugh or two at his expense. Larry David voiced the parody Steinbrenner and Lee Bear played him. It wasn’t his only spot in pop culture, but it was his most prominent.

Key quote about the guy

• To be able to deliver this to the Boss, to the stadium he created and the atmosphere he created around here, it’s very gratifying to all of us.
• Yankees manager Joe Girardi • Talking after the team’s World Series success in the new Yankees Stadium. Steinbrenner held his teams to high standards – he had to, he paid out of the wazoo for them – but the results often proved his model correct. The manager before Girardi, Joe Torre, left after failing to win the World Series, despite yearly playoff appearances. By the end, George had given his sons Hal and Hank increasing authority over the team, but the base was all his. Still doesn’t mean Red Sox fans have to like it. source

• 500 saves for the reliable Yankees pitcher source

• one She’s a New Yawker of Puerto Rican descent and a huge Yankees fan.
• two Her pedigree’s pretty sweet: She went to Princeton and Yale Law School.
• three She was appointed as a trial judge in 1991 and upgraded to appeals in 1998.
• four In 1995, she effectively ended the MLB baseball strike by blocking replacements.
• five If she gets on the court, she’ll likely be a solid liberal vote. Well, duhhhh. source

• $1.5 billion for the just-opened “new” Yankee Stadium source

• Surgery on Monday. Dude’s out 6-9 weeks. Alex Rodriguez has had a pretty crappy last 30 days or so. And the topper is the hip. Initially thought to just be a cyst, he also has a torn labrum and will be out for a while recovering from arthroscopic hip surgery, which he’ll have on Monday. No word on whether he’ll blame his cousin for the hip injury. source

• Alex has proven his durability throughout his career, and we will take every precaution and step necessary to ensure his health as we near the start of the 2009 regular season and beyond.
• Brian Cashman • Yankees general manager, on Alex Rodriguez’s new problem – a freaking cyst in his hip. That doesn’t sound like fun, man. But then, your last month hasn’t been much fun. • source

• The tension in that room oughta be fun. The MLB Player’s Association recently got wind that the league’s investigative department wants to speak with Yankee Alex Rodriguez about a couple of things regarding that whole steroids incident. While it will be non-disciplinary in nature, it certainly doesn’t sound like much fun. source

• Is that a good thing? Alex Rodriguez, an amazingly-gifted baseball player, has also been a thorn in the New York Yankees’ side for a while already due to off-field drama. And he’s going to be there until at least 2018, when he’s old and (possibly) fat. The slugger, who was recently pinpointed as testing positive for steroids during his 2003 MVP season, will cost the Yankees as much as $300 million. And that contract’s so big that he’s basically untradeable. Good for him! source