I had a blog post rattling around in my head this morning while I cleaned the kitchen and, when I was done, I opened the Macbook to type it out, only to be waylaid by the news George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees, has passed away.

As a lifelong resident of Red Sox Nation, one of my core values is a deep and abiding hatred of the Yankees but, as a baseball fan, there’s no denying the impact of his presence in the baseball world. He was an amazing and charismatic man, even to those watching from the other dugout.

I offer my sincere condolences to Mr. Steinbrenner’s family, to the city of New York, and to the Yankees team and its fans. May he rest in peace.