George Steinbrenner passed away today from a massive heart attack. He was 80 years old. Steinbrenner was the principal owner of the New York Yankees and the definition of “hands-on owner” from the time the ownership group he led purchased the team in 1973 until 2007 when he transitioned the day-to-day operations of the Yankees to his sons. There had been rumors of health issues for several years, and after his sons took over the team he was seen less frequently publicly.
It was easy as a Yankee fan growing up with the New York tabloids to hate George Steinbrenner. Even as a grade schooler, I was critical of moves that the Yankees made, such as allowing Reggie Jackson to leave as a free agent, and later the departures of Rich “Goose” Gossage (via free agency) and Graig Nettles (via trade, allegedly as a result of negative comments Nettles made about Steinbrenner in his memoir). But it was his actions towards Dave Winfield that made me despise the man.
Winfield and Steinbrenner always seem to have some kind of friction, which I never understood as a grade schooler. To me, Dave Winfield was the ideal player; talented and athletic, but humble and friendly. Steinbrenner clashed with Winfield though, going so far as to hire Howard Spira to dig up dirt on Winfield to tarnish his image. Winfield would eventually be traded (for Mike Witt of all people) and would give several more productive seasons (and receive a World Series ring in return in 1992), while Steinbrenner would be banned for life* from baseball for his dealings with Spira.
When I got older though, I realized why Steinbrenner acted this way (well, some of it) and learned to appreciate what he did for the Yankees more. The time away from baseball did the Yankees a world of good; Steinbrenner’s departure opened the door for Gene Michael to build the team as general manager without interference from Steinbrenner. Michael was a baseball guy — an excellent scout and judge of talent. Michael and later Bob Watson would build what would become the “Yankee Dynasty”, drafting and signing players such as Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, and Bernie Williams, and trading for players like Tino Martinez, Paul O’Neill and Scott Brosius. That — not the buying of free agents — is what made the Yankees a dominant team in the 90s. When Steinbrenner was reinstated after a few years, he took a less “hands-on” approach — allowing professional baseball people like Michael and Watson do what they did best — while at the same time keeping the high expectations in place that had been there before. From 1987 to 1990, the Yankees changed managers five times, almost always as a direct result of Steinbrenner. In the twenty years since, the Yankees have only changed managers three times.
As someone who went to a lot of Yankees games during that time, I can tell you that late 80s/early 90s Yankee teams that were some of the worst in Yankee history were a direct result of Steinbrenner’s actions. I can also say that the two rings the Yankees brought home in 1977 and 1978 and the late 90s dynasty likely wouldn’t have happened without him either. When Steinbrenner’s group purchased the Yankees in 1973, the Yankees were a second-tier franchise, struggling to make a .500 record and playing in a crumbling stadium. In three years, the Yankees were back in the World Series.
It’s easy to criticize the Yankees spending, but it’s also easy to forget how easily Steinbrenner could have maintained a “regular” payroll and pocketed the rest of the money. Steinbrenner spent profits to make his product better. Isn’t that what you want from an owner?
You’ll be missed, Mr. Steinbrenner.