George M. Steinbrenner was by no means one to draw back from the cameras, whether or not it was standing entrance and heart to announce his buy of the Yankees in 1973, or playfully sparring with supervisor Billy Martin for a sequence of tv commercials hawking gentle beer: Tastes nice! Much less filling! You’re fired!
Because of “Seinfeld,” Steinbrenner — or not less than a model of him — stays outstanding on the airwaves through the wonders of syndication. Seasons 5-8 of Jerry Seinfeld’s long-running NBC sitcom continuously lampooned Steinbrenner, with co-creator Larry David offering the over-the-top voice impression of the proprietor’s clipped staccato and actor Lee Bear delivering the wild gesticulations.
Viewers solely noticed “Steinbrenner” from behind, rambling about cupcakes, Cuban cigars or fragrant calzones, however that almost modified with a cameo for the ages. As Seinfeld ready for its 1995-96 season finale, capturing a script for an episode titled, “The Invites,” David recommended that they’ve the actual Steinbrenner seem in scenes with stars Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
The story arc had Steinbrenner accompanying Elaine Benes (Louis-Dreyfus) to the marriage of Yankees assistant to the touring secretary George Costanza (Alexander). Steinbrenner was recreation for the problem. He flew on a non-public jet to Los Angeles, delivering traces in a Studio Metropolis set that had been painstakingly designed to appear to be the inside of Yankee Stadium.
Upon rewatch, Steinbrenner appeared comfortable, providing a rant about his distaste for attending weddings solo: “Singles tables are for losers! The Yankees have gained 33 pennants and 22 world championships. We’re winners! We don’t sit with losers!” He additionally delivered a quip that alluded to his hard-driving administration model: “I don’t prefer to put undue stress on folks.”
Besides … when capturing concluded, the showrunners determined that Steinbrenner’s efficiency had been a whiff. David recalled being within the modifying room, viewing footage that he deemed unusable. The longer term “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star accepted the duty of informing Steinbrenner that he could be lower from the episode.
“It was a lot funnier simply to see him from the again with my voice than to see him act, however I needed to be the one to inform him that,” David instructed Peter Botte in his ebook, “The Large 50: New York Yankees.” “He mentioned in that well-known voice of his, ‘You possibly can inform me. I can take it like a person.’ So I mentioned, ‘Look, I’m sorry, Mr. Steinbrenner. We have now to chop you from the present. I simply wished to let you already know.’ He didn’t appear that disenchanted about it. It simply didn’t work.”
Steinbrenner instructed Leisure Weekly in 1997 that he didn’t thoughts the snub, expressing dismay concerning the “sick” storyline through which Costanza’s fiancée dies after licking low cost wedding ceremony envelopes.
In hindsight, maybe David and Seinfeld’s workers have been too hasty. The clip survives on YouTube, and it’s exceptional to see Steinbrenner stroll by the doorway of Costanza’s acquainted fake Stadium workplace, then to work together with the characters.
A later scene with Louis-Dreyfus at a restaurant makes an attempt to play off David’s caricature of Steinbrenner, and although it fizzles, “The Boss” deserves credit score for gamely enjoying alongside. Throughout a January 2020 look on “The Michael Kay Present,” David’s eyes grew extensive because the audio of Steinbrenner’s traces have been performed.
“He wasn’t unhealthy,” David mentioned. “I don’t know what we have been considering!”
Regardless of the deleted scenes, Steinbrenner is claimed to have had a good view of “Seinfeld” and its depiction of the chaotic Yankees workplace environment. He was not overly passionate about David’s voice impression, however Steinbrenner chuckled at a few of the goofy eventualities that the writers conjured. As for the ill-fated Jay Buhner commerce, sure — his baseball folks did say, “Ken Phelps.”
“I used to be ready to not prefer it, however I got here away laughing my head off,” Steinbrenner as soon as instructed The New York Occasions. “Hey, for those who can’t snort at your self, you’re in unhealthy form. We’d like extra laughs at present. I am going to too many funerals and never sufficient birthday events.”
