It appears that George Steinbrenner has started his spring cleaning a few months early. You see, his Yankees had the audacity to advance to the World Series before falling in six to an upstart Florida Marlin club. Apparently, not winning the World Series is a travesty in New York because Steinbrenner is on a rampage, and the wrath of “the Boss” is being taken out on his coaching staff.

First, he fired hitting coach Rick Down because the Yankee hitters did not come up with the big hits in the Series. Hmmm … Jason Giambi made over $11 million dollars this season. Derek Jeter raked in $15.6 million. Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui took home $8 million and $6 million, respectively … to hit! These guys are grossing more money than some small countries to put runs on the board.

So, let me get this right: when they do not produce, it is Rick Down’s fault? Where is the logic in that? Last I checked, Down was not making the big bucks, nor was he digging into the batter’s box against Josh Beckett. If he is responsible for driving in runs, he should have been collecting about $50 million per year.

Of course Steinbrenner needed a scapegoat, and logically — perhaps illogically — it was the hitting coach, since he can’t up and fire his hitters. Now he turns to an old Yankee hero, Don Mattingly, to teach professional hitters how to hit. Mattingly is a lifetime .307 hitter, but, unless he has found the fountain of youth, I don’t think he is going to put the Yankees over the top.

Down is not the only casualty of Steinbrenner’s lunacy. Beloved bench coach Don Zimmer vowed to never work for “the Boss” again and quit immediately after the World Series. The fact that Steinbrenner drove a man who loves the game like “Zim” does to quit is horrible. If anyone should be forced to turn to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, it’s Steinbrenner.

Now, manager Joe Torre, one of the most respected managers in baseball, may end his run in pinstripes when his contract expires next year because of his owner’s meddling. Steinbrenner seems convinced that spending a lot of money entitles him to a championship ring every year. Well, Joe Torre should be entitled to a small tropical island for putting up with Steinbrenner. No wonder George Costanza was crazy. He lived with his parents and had to work for the Yanks.

All this demonstrates is just how ridiculous and arrogant the Yankee organization — or at least their owner — is. The idea that anything short of a World Series is failure is absurd.

Yankee fans might argue that their team simply expects to win. I can buy that. In fact, that is one thing I respect about the Yankees. They have an amazing tradition and should be in contention every year; however, a team cannot expect to win it all every single season. You expect to contend, not win it all. That’s the way things are in sports. At some point, New York has to admit that it just was not their year.

This is a franchise that has appeared in six of the last eight Fall Classics and won four of them. They have nothing to complain about, but, like a spoiled rich kid, they lose the Series and act as if they lost 100 games.

Seriously, George, there are 30 teams in Major League baseball; eventually someone else will win.

I have no sympathy for Yankee fans — or any baseball fans, for that matter. (Get over it, Cubs fans. You were in the playoffs). The Brewers have not made the playoffs since 1982 and haven’t had a winning record since 1992. Count them up. That’s 11-straight seasons of losing baseball. We Brewer fans were getting fired up over a meaningless double-digit winning streak in August. It was the most excitement since Jose Hernandez’ quest for strikeout immortality.

Were the Brewers to make the playoffs, even if they got swept in the first round, I would be ecstatic. And if they lost in the World Series, oh man, I cannot even imagine how happy I would be. Any other team in baseball would love to enjoy New York’s “failures”.

Get over yourself, George, and let your coaches do their jobs. Just because your season ended does not mean the world did. Tyson chicken is on line one; they want Costanza.