Somehow 1978 was more chaotic for the Yankees than the year prior. 1977 was just a preamble. It was dominated by the love-hate triangle of Billy Martin, Reggie Jackson, and George Steinbrenner. Billy played the role of the hot-headed manager. Reggie was the expensive and cocky superstar. George was the boisterous owner. Everything they did and every word that came out of their mouth only added fuel to the fire, but somehow while the Bronx was burning, the Yankees won a championship.
Entering ‘78, expectations were even higher. The assumption was that the Reggie vs. Billy show was over and George would back-off, seeing as how the team achieved what he always demanded.