Rocky River-born George Steinbrenner, outspoken and free-spending owner of the New York Yankees, is dead at the age of 80.
George Steinbrenner, an aggressive Clevelander with a driving need to dominate and win, tried to buy the Indians in 1972.
The heir to a shipping fortune put together a syndicate that offered $8.5 million for the team to Indians owner Vernon Stouffer, who agreed verbally to the deal.
But before the papers were signed, Stouffer backed out and sold the club to Nick Mileti, whose group bought the club for $9 million.
Like a young man who is spurned by the girl next door and then marries a movie star, Steinbrenner got even for the snub, leap-frogging to New York and purchasing the Yankees for $10 million in 1973. The estimated value of the franchise is now more than $1.6 billion.
As principal owner of the most honored team in sports, he became famous. The Yankees won 11 American League pennants and seven World Series during his hectic stewardship.
Steinbrenner, born on July 4, 1930, died of an apparent heart attack this morning, a little over a week after he turned 80.
Longevity record
He was the Yankees' principal owner for 37 years, the longest tenure in the team's history.He bullied and fired managers and players at will. He made 20 managerial changes in his first 23 years, firing Billy Martin five times.
Steinbrenner, in his consuming passion to win, feuded with league presidents and umpires. He was banished from baseball twice and was convicted of a felony. He angered rival owners by paying outrageous salaries, practically cornering the market on great players.
He became known as The Boss. The New York Times called him "the most controversial figure in sports." He was on the cover of Newsweek Magazine. The Sporting News named him the most powerful man in sports in 2002. He became rich and recognized beyond his wildest dreams.
"I know I'm tough," he once said. "But I try to make it up to people. I don't like to hurt people. Sometimes I just can't help it."
Nice guy George
He had his soft side, too. He sent an $8,000 check to a benefit for ailing former Indians pitcher Mike Garcia, who was suffering from diabetes and kidney failure. "When I was a kid in Cleveland, Mike Garcia gave me many a thrill," he said. "I hate to see great players hurting. We've got guys in the big leagues who couldn't carry Garcia's jock."
Steinbrenner always appreciated the retired greats of the game, hiring people such as former pitchers Whitey Ford and Eddie Lopat to do not much more than stand around and be available for interviews. He kept an aged clubhouse man on the payroll, letting him sit around and spin stories.
Howard "Hopalong" Cassady, the football player who won the Heisman Award with Ohio State in 1955, was on his staff for more than 30 years as a physical training instructor.
Helped DiMaggio
When he found that Joe DiMaggio, one of the greatest Yankees, was driving a Toyota Corolla, he bought him a Cadillac.
He would pick up the tab for his entire Yankee team when they dined and drank at Cleveland's Theatrical Restaurant, the old downtown signature hangout for the sporting crowd.
Steinbrenner was a sociable man who was a regular at the Cleveland's legendary Table 14 at the downtown Pewter Mug, where prominent sportsmen gathered. He was invariably charming in interviews, but made no apologies for his rough-house management style. "Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing," he said.
Responding to a New York Times story in which he was called "arrogant and boorish," Steinbrenner said, "I get mad as hell when my team blows one. I'm obsessed with winning, with discipline. That's what New York is all about, fighting for everything, a cab in the rain, a table in a restaurant."
"There are too many underachievers in this country," he said. "I want my guys to perform to their capabilities. They're getting paid enough."
Staying healthy
Ironically, another time he said, "I will never have a heart attack. I give them."
When the TV camera caught him making a profane outburst during a Yankees loss, he called his mother in Bay Village, as he always did to explain a controversy. "Did you say what I thought you said?" she asked. He apologized and admitted he did.
Steinbrenner was born in Rocky River on July 4, 1930, and grew up in Bay. He was fond of recalling trips to Municipal Stadium to watch the Indians, especially when they played the Yankees.
His father, Henry, owned Kinsman Marine Transit in Lorain, his boats carrying grain and ore on the Great Lakes. He was a stern master who did not spoil his children. Steinbrenner had to sell eggs door-to-door for spending money as a youngster.
The father was a champion hurdler at Culver Military Academy in Indiana in the 1920s. George followed in his footsteps at Culver. If he won two races and lost the third, his father would demand to know why he lost. He also played football at Culver.
Fast man
Steinbrenner continued his athletic career at Williams (Massachusetts) College. He was good enough to once run the hurdles in the Millrose Games, a New York indoor track meet that attracted the nation's best runners. He was also sports editor of the school newspaper and played in the band.
After graduating in 1952 during the Korean War, Steinbrenner had a two-year stint in the Air Force, coordinating athletic programs at Lockbourne Air Base. Following his discharge, he was athletic director and coach at Aquinas High in Columbus for a year.
On May 12, 1956, he married Joan Zieg of Columbus. They eventually had four children, Henry, Jennifer, Jessica and Hal.
He served two more years as a football assistant coach at Northwestern University and Purdue University. Then he returned to Bay Village to work for his father at Kinsman Transit Marine, a business that had been founded by his great-great-great grandfather in 1842.
Rising young man
Steinbrenner was head of the national March of Dimes program and was named outstanding young man of 1960 by the Cleveland Junior Chamber of Commerce. He was active in the U.S. Olympic Committee most of his life.
In 1961, he was the leader of a group that bought the Cleveland Pipers, an industrial-league basketball team that had won a title the previous season. The Pipers joined the newly formed professional National Basketball League and played in Public Hall to tiny crowds.
Steinbrenner showed portents of what was to come when he fired the coach, John McLendon, in February 1962. Feeling he needed a bigger name to attract more interest in the team, he hired Bill Sharman, who had been a star player on the Boston Celtics.
Under Sharman, the Pipers won the National Basketball League championship, but they still drew small crowds. Steinbrenner complained all season about meager newspaper publicity.
Corraled Lucas
Steinbrenner then scored a coup, signing the most sought-after college player in the land, Jerry Lucas of Ohio State. But the Pipers folded before the season began. Lucas then became a huge NBA star.
Later in the 1960s, Steinbrenner and a group of investors bought one-third of the American Ship Building Co. in Lorain. He was named president. The company became immensely successful, with Steinbrenner following his father's advice: "Always work harder, or as hard as anybody who works for you."
He still had the sports itch, buying a piece of Northfield Park with Carl Milstein in 1972. He bought a pacer, Incredible Finale, for $300,000 and it won more than $1 million. After buying the Yankees, he sold his shares in Northfield.
When he bought the Yankees, his father said his son finally made a smart deal. Several Clevelanders, including lawyer Dan McCarthy and businessman Michael Friedman, were partners in the purchase.
Video: Starting Blocks TV's Bill Lubinger and Chuck Yarborough talk with reporter Bob Dolgan about George Steinbrenner.Slow start
The Yankees had not been in the playoffs since 1965 when he took over. Steinbrenner's first three Yankee teams did not make the postseason either. Season attendance fell under 1 million in 1972.
Then, taking advantage of the new free agency rule, Steinbrenner signed pitcher Jim "Catfish" Hunter, a star with Oakland, to a five-year contract for $3.75 million in 1975. In 1977, he picked up slugger Reggie Jackson in a five-year, $3 million pact. Both were astronomical salaries at the time.
In 1976, the Yankees won the pennant, but lost in the World Series. The next two years they won the World Series.
It was an uproarious time. In his first 10 seasons, Steinbrenner changed managers 10 times. Martin quit in 1978, after making critical remarks about Jackson and Steinbrenner. "One's a born liar [Jackson] and the other one [Steinbrenner] is a convicted liar," he said.
Boss bulliesIn 1974, Steinbrenner pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to charges of illegal contributions to the campaigns of ex-President Richard Nixon and several congressmen. He admitted that he influenced and intimidated American Ship Building employees to lie to the FBI and the U.S. grand jury that was investigating illegalities. The employees had given $42,325 to Nixon, writing checks on the same day they received bonuses.
Steinbrenner faced a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $15,000 fine. He pleaded guilty to one count and got off with the fine.
Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspended him from baseball for two years because of the guilty plea. The suspension was lifted after 15 months for good behavior. President Ronald Reagan pardoned him in 1989.
Some of his enemies in the press continued to call him "a convicted felon," a label he hated.
As Steinbrenner continued to pile up managerial fatalities and battle everybody, the legend of the Yankees as "The Bronx Zoo" escalated.
Nettles in circusThird baseman Graig Nettles said, "When I was a boy I always wanted to join the circus and play for the Yankees. I got to do both."
Steinbrenner was called "Kaiser George," "Attila the Hun," and "Colonel Clink" by press and players.
His most complicated relationship was with Martin. He alternated between calling him "a genius" and casting him adrift. He was rumored to be ready to hire him for his sixth term as manager when Martin was killed in a car crash on Christmas Day, 1989.
Steinbrenner bought a burial plot for Martin not far from that of Babe Ruth in Gates of Heaven Cemetery in New York.
When he fired the beloved Yogi Berra as manager after 14 games in 1985, he was called "the most hated man in baseball."
Yogi defense
"I hate to blame Yogi, but at this time we need a kick-ass guy, not the fatherly image type," Steinbrenner responded. "I love Yogi. Everybody loves Yogi. But the fans want a winner."
Berra boycotted Yankee Stadium games and reunions for the next 14 years, when he and Steinbrenner finally made up.
In 1993, Kuhn fined Steinbrenner $250,000 for critical comments about American League President Lee MacPhail, who overturned an umpire's ruling on Ken Brett's notorious pine tar homer for Kansas City. Martin had complained that Brett's homer was illegal because he had the pine tar too high on the bat. The umpire agreed, giving the Yankees a 4-3 victory. MacPhail's ruling changed that into a 5-4 defeat for the Yankees.
"He better start house-hunting in Kansas City," Steinbrenner said of MacPhail. "I would not want to be poor Lee living in New York."
Ten years earlier, MacPhail had suspended him for a week for critical remarks about umpires Derryl Cousins and John Shulock.
Kuhn also fined him $5,000 for derisive comments about Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf and $50,000 for questioning the integrity of National League umpires in spring training.
Raps starsSteinbrenner continued to lash out at his players. His most outrageous comment came when he called Ron Guidry "a Triple A pitcher" in 1977, when he won 16 and lost seven. The next year, Guidry was 28-3. He called star reliever Goose Gossage "stupid."
There was a method to Steinbrenner's madness. His antics gained so much publicity that the New York Mets, the National League team in town, found themselves playing second fiddle.
He enjoyed the attention. "When you're a ship builder, nobody pays attention to you," he said. "But when you own the Yankees, they do. I love it."
He was a ham actor at heart, making TV commercials in which he performed with shortstop Derek Jeter and manager Joe Torre. He allowed himself to be portrayed by an actor in a recurring role in the TV hit comedy, "Seinfeld." He once hosted a "Saturday Night Live" TV comedy show.
Steinbrenner was always interested in show business, backing several stage plays with his partner, Robert Nederlander. They won a Tony Award for the musical "Applause" in 1970.
Fired up ReggieHis baseball diatribes often seemed to inspire his players. When he ordered Jackson to take a physical examination because he was not hitting, the player said he was humiliated. Then he went on a batting spree.
After giving outfielder Dave Winfield a 10-year, $23 million contract in 1980, he called him "Mr. May," the opposite of clutch-hitting Jackson ("Mr. October.")
With the Yankees in second place at the All-Star break in 1988, he rapped superstars Winfield, Don Mattingly and Rickey Henderson, saying, "I'm not sure if they have what it takes to win."
Of Mattingly, a first baseman who had won batting and runs-batted-in crowns, Steinbrenner said, "He's the most unproductive .300 hitter in baseball."
He said Winfield was promoting his book every day and thinking too much about himself, rather than the team. Winfield was hitting .346 with 62 RBI.
He criticized Henderson for missing games with a leg injury and then going to the All-Star game. "It seems so stupid when he could have taken time off to rest his legs," the Boss said.
Players' response"I'm not surprised at anything he says." Winfield retorted. Mattingly said Yankee players were well-paid but received no respect from the owner. Steinbrenner never held grudges. After Mattingly retired as a player, Steinbrenner hired him as hitting coach.
He respected catcher Thurman Munson and wanted to make him the Yankees' first captain since Lou Gehrig in the 1930s. Munson, who just wanted to be one of the boys, declined, saying some of his teammates were making mock salutes when he came into the clubhouse.
Steinbrenner insisted he take the title and the Yankees came from 14 games back to win the 1978 pennant and the World Series.
When Munson was killed in a plane crash the next season, Steinbrenner said, "This is the saddest day of my life. We fought like cats and dogs, but we got along great."
Horses failThe biggest disappointment of his sports career was his failure to win the Kentucky Derby with one of his thoroughbreds. He once said winning the Derby was his major goal, since he had already won several World Series.
His colt, Bellamy Road, was the 5-2 favorite in the 2005 Run for the Roses, but finished seventh. Steve's Friend was fifth as a 29-1 shot in 1977. Eternal Prince (1985), Diligence (1997), Concerto (1999) and Blue Burner (2002) were his other Derby losers, none coming in better than ninth.
Steinbrenner's horses ran out of the Kinsman Stables, named in honor of his great-great-great-grandfather, whose first Cleveland home after emigrating from Germany was on Kinsman Road.
While most Clevelanders agreed the Indians would have won a World Series or two if Steinbrenner had bought the team in 1972, he was disliked in Lorain after moving the American Ship Building Co. to Tampa.
Economic blowSome 1,500 workers lost their jobs when Steinbrenner shut down the 87-year-old Lorain shipyard on Dec. 1, 1983.
Steinbrenner closed the shipyard after demanding union employees take either a 25 percent pay cut or give up their health benefits. After the union gave in, Steinbrenner abandoned the yard a few weeks before Christmas.
James Unger, chief union negotiator, said the pullout was a national scandal. "AmShip isn't losing money," he said. "They've got a record backlog of work." He charged that the move was made to avenge a 10-month strike in 1979.
Steinbrenner claimed his company lost more than $30 million in the Lorain yard in the five years before he left. "Nobody feels worse about closing than I do," he said. "It's a part of me." Steinbrenner had already moved to Ocala, Fla., where he had a horse farm.
He celebrated his 60th birthday in 1990 with a lavish party in Ocala. The Tommy Dorsey and Les Elgart bands entertained the 300 guests.
Spira affairThe strangest moments of his career came in 1990, when Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent suspended him for life for paying small-time gambler Howard Spira $40,000 to dig up damaging information about Winfield.
Winfield had sued Steinbrenner for not paying him $300,000 a year for his charitable foundation, as stipulated in the player's contract. Steinbrenner hoped to discredit Winfield through Spira, who had worked for the player.
Steinbrenner charged that Spira turned on him and was trying to extort $110,000. Spira was found guilty and sentenced to 2½ years in prison.
The Steinbrenner ban was lifted in 1993 and he returned to running the Yankees.
Perhaps his most successful era came after he hired Joe Torre to manage in 1996. With Torre at the helm and Steinbrenner supplying an endless list of high-priced players, the Yankees won the World Series four times between 1996 and 2000.
YES rolls in moneyIn 2001, Steinbrenner formed the YES cable TV network, owning 60 percent of what became an incredibly profitable enterprise. It was reported YES was making $200 million a year. That further enhanced Steinbrenner's ability to outspend all rivals in his undying quest for baseball talent.
Indians owner Larry Dolan charged that Steinbrenner's uninhibited spending was hurting baseball. "He is forcing other teams to overspend so they can compete," Dolan said.
Baseball owners, by a 29-1 vote, installed a luxury tax on teams that paid excessive salaries. Steinbrenner was the only man to vote against it. He was also against revenue sharing.
Steinbrenner complained. "It's like they're back in a communist nation," he said. He vowed to keep paying high salaries in order to win.
In 2005, he was giving third baseman Alex Rodriguez $26 million a season, shortstop Derek Jeter $19.6 million, pitcher Randy Johnson $16 million, outfielder Gary Sheffield $13 million and outfielder Hideki Matsui $8 million. The Yankees' payroll was $208 million. The Boston Red Sox were next highest at $127 million. The Indians were among the lowest at $42 million.
Most baseball people were expecting Steinbrenner's Yankees to win more championships.