---

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, April 2, 1993                   TAG: 9304020212
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Joe Kennedy
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

---

FAMILY MAN

He's loud. He's brash. He changes managers the way other men change their socks. As a result, his New York Yankees often are mediocre, but at least they know who's Boss.

George Steinbrenner returns to baseball this season after a 30-month suspension for associating with an unsavory sort named Howard Spira.

Sports Illustrated celebrated his re-entry with a cover photo of George on a horse. Steinbrenner was dressed as Napoleon, which made sense. The horse was facing forward, which didn't.

Need proof? USA Today recently reported that Yankee manager Buck Showalter forgot his wife's birthday because of spring training obligations.

Steinbrenner cheered.

"The way you can tell if a guy is doing the job is if his wife is unhappy with the hours he's spending on it," he said. "Then, you know you got the right guy."

Showalter's wife was upset, but Steinbrenner knew just how to handle her.

"I sent her a bottle of champagne and four glasses," he said. "I told Buck to go home and make amends."

Wonder what the little lady said about that . . .

---