Baseball legend George Steinbrenner was, and will continue to be, one of the most polarizing figures in sports.
“The Boss” was tough as nails and accepted nothing short of perfection. He was demanding, yes, but it is with that grit and determination that turned the Yankees into a championship team.
Since he purchased the Yankees in 1973, the club has won 11 pennants and seven World Series titles. With his talent for business, he transformed the team into one of the most lucrative sports franchises worldwide.
With his health deteriorating in recent years, Steinbrenner’s direct involvement with the team lessened. In 2008, he gave control of the Yankees to his sons.
On Tuesday morning, Steinbrenner died in a Tampa hospital after a massive heart attack at 80 years old. His presence in Major League Baseball, and in all of sports, will be sorely missed by many.
“From his playing days at Williams College to his coaching days at Purdue and Northwestern, it was clear that George Steinbrenner was a product of the gridiron. We will miss his passion for giving back to our sport, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”
–Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning, in a National Football Foundation statement
“We all suffered a huge loss today! Mr. Steinbrenner was a great man, great owner, that did so many amazing things. You will truly be missed!”
–Joba Chamberlain, via Twitter
“RIP, George Steinbrenner. Bob Sheppard already is there to announce your arrival.”
–ESPN’s Adam Schefter, via Twitter
“Now that George Steinbrenner has died and gone to Heaven, he’s going to make Jesus cut his hair.”
–Actor Gary Busey, via Twitter
“George was a giant of the game and his devotion to baseball was surpassed only by his devotion to his family and his beloved New York Yankees. He was and always will be as much of a New York Yankee as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford and all of the other Yankee legends.”
–MLB commissioner Bud Selig
“George was ‘The Boss,’ make no mistake. He built the Yankees into champions and that’s something nobody can ever deny. He was a very generous, caring, passionate man. George and I had our differences, but who didn’t? We became great friends over the last decade and I will miss him very much.”
–Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra
“He was a champion who made New York a better place, and who always gave back to the city he loved. He has left an indelible legacy on the Yankees, on baseball, and on our city, and he leaves us in the only way that would be appropriate: as a reigning world champion.”
–New York mayor Michael Bloomberg
“George Steinbrenner’s Yankees represent the will to overcome all odds which is precisely the will New Yorkers display when meeting every challenge they face. George will be greatly be missed but his legacy will carry on in the hearts and minds of all baseball fans.”
–Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani
“George was a demanding owner, but very caring, very supportive. He bought a struggling franchise and turned it into a dynasty. He’s going to be known as the most influential owner in the history of sports.”
–Cubs manager Lou Piniella, on boston.com
“The passing of George Steinbrenner marks the end of an era in New York City baseball history. George was a larger-than-life figure and a force in the industry. The rise and success of his teams on the field and in the business marketplace under his leadership are a testament to his skill, drive and determination.”
–New York Mets owners Fred Wilpon, Saul Katz and Jeff Wilpon, on boston.com
“George Steinbrenner is an American icon and was one of the preeminent owners in all of sports. A true champion with his own unique style, he held his team to the highest standards and demanded a title for Yankees fans each and every season. I will remember him as a winner whose passion and enthusiasm became part of the fabric of New York City. He was an inspiration and represented the essence of leadership.”
–New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, on Yahoo Sports
“While the public face of George Steinbrenner was a demanding owner, he was extremely generous to others. Many acts of kindness were bestowed to those in need, with most of those acts going unnoticed except by those who benefited.”
–Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, on Yahoo Sports
“He didn’t want to lose at all. A [player] had to come in there and want to win, know how to win, and lay it all on the line. Otherwise, they were in trouble … they’ll have to look at him as one of the top owners in sports.”
— Former Yankee Dave Winfield, on ESPN.com
“George Steinbrenner’s passion for the game of baseball helped revive one of the game’s most storied franchises, and in the process ushered in the modern era of baseball business operations. Mr. Steinbrenner understood and embraced the power of the players, and he put this knowledge to good use in establishing the Yankees as one of the sports world’s most iconic brands.”
— Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Michael Weiner, on ESPN.com
“Everyone knows George Steinbrenner went from loser to legend by taking a second division team with a struggling franchise in 1973 and turning it into a champion again. But he was much more than a winner and a celebrity. There was no falseness in him. He did everything with his heart: His family, his friends, his team, his nation and his community. I’m not surprised that in the end he died by wearing it out.”
— Former New York governor Mario Cuomo, on ESPN.com
“George Steinbrenner was too complex a person to adequately describe in a short statement, but he was a great friend of mine and he will be missed. His impact on the game cannot be denied.”
— Chicago White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, on ESPN.com
“George Steinbrenner was a dynamic personality in sports and in business. He was the ultimate competitor in both worlds. All of us in the business of sports want to win; that is the objective. George personified that ambition. He and his good works will be missed dearly. George and my father had a special relationship; they were both good businessmen, and George loved the Yankees and my father loved the Giants.”
— Steve Tisch, New York Giants chairman, on abc.com
“George Steinbrenner was a formidable opponent and baseball’s greatest rivalry will not be the same without him. As the longest tenured owner, he left an indelible mark on the game. I worked with George in my position as the owner of two Major League franchises and saw firsthand his passionate leadership style, his zeal for winning and his love for the game. Above all, I knew George as a competitor and today Red Sox Nation lost a person who truly relished the prospect of facing the Red Sox and doing all he could to make sure his beloved Yankees would come out victorious.”
–Red Sox chairman Tom Werner
