Big story lines lead to Randy Levine

George Vecsey of the New York Times characterizes recent Yankee activities as nervousness and over-reaction to NY Times business partners, the Boston Red Sox (whom he describes as "underfunded.") Some items Mr. Vecsey mentions I see more as a reflection of incompetence of Yankee President, Randy Levine. eg, Lack of proper supervision on the stadium construction site.

• It turns out standards have been so lax that memorabilia from another team was embedded in the concrete. How can Levine at this point even guarantee the structure isn't compromised in other ways as to be structurally unsound? He has no credibility on this.

Secondly, Mr. Vecsey refers to the "jovial" player David Ortiz starring in a Yankee Stadium Babe Ruth contest. The most important point of it was reported earlier in the week by Jack Curry in the NY Times, which is:

• Randy Levine has been in charge of the All Star game for a year, and had no inkling the contest was in the works (and is being promoted as a done deal).

In fact, a commercial promoting Ortiz' appearance at Yankee Stadium ran today on the Yankee Radio post game broadcast on XM radio (immediately preceding Suzyn Waldman's clubhouse report).

• Most of the world knew about this, but not the President of the Yankees.
• Does Randy Levine know a Yankee broadcast was used by an advertised MLB site today to promote Ortiz' appearance at the Stadium? Levine is more oblivious and belatedly pompous than nervous from my extended observation of him.

Reference, NY Times article by George Vecsey, "Plenty to Preoccupy Mets and Yankees," 5/26/08

• P.S. I don't care about the Home Run Derby and hope no Yankees are in it. I care that the Yankee executive supposedly in charge of the All Star game knew nothing about it. (sm)

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