Steinbrenner’s Gift To Pr Man - ‘You’re Out’

On the last working day before Christmas, George Steinbrenner fired his public relations man because he went home for the holidays.

With no idea whether pitcher David Cone would be signed, Rob Butcher, the Yankees director of media relations and publicity, went home to Wilmington, Ohio, on Thursday afternoon. Steinbrenner fired Butcher on Friday.

“If I made him angry enough, if he feels his only recourse is to fire me over it, he’s the owner, that’s his prerogative,” Butcher said.

Butcher, the team’s 12th spokesman since Steinbrenner bought the Yankees in 1973, called Steinbrenner from Ohio on Thursday night and told him he would return to Yankee Stadium for Friday’s news conference, according to a Yankees official speaking on the condition he not be identified.

Steinbrenner, the official said, told Butcher during the 5-minute conversation that it probably wasn’t going to work out and that he should start looking for another job.