A brief encounter with the Evil Empire's 'Boss'

Yogi's safe, probably Torre, too.

No one reading this space expects a tearful good-bye to George Steinbrenner.

But I did have one encounter with the Yankees owner on a rather surreal evening at Yankee Stadium in 1987 that involved a Hall of Famer, a former U.S. president and a legendary sports nut.

I was standing in the back row of the Yankee Stadium, pre-presidential encounter, and the Yankee owner walked past.

"How you doing, boys?" he said to me and Rich, patting me on the back as he walked past.

The Crane Pool Forum guys noted that remaining Yankee legends should proceed with caution. The old saying is that famous deaths happen in threes, and the Evil Empire earlier in the week lost its voice -- though Mr. Shepherd will continue to be heard every time Derek F. Jeter walks to the plate.

Yogi, of course, is protected by his Mets aura, but Whitey, Reggie, Bucky and the rest of the, um, heroes in pinstripes, not so much.