Remembering “The Boss,” George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner will be more than missed; he will be honored as one of baseball’s lead icons of all time. His heart attack on July 13th at age 80 shocked the sports world and had players and celebrities mourning his character. ”The Boss,” as his nick name suggests, branded him as the relentless, uncompromising Yankee owner for over 37 years.
Steinbrenner’s Machiavellian rule persuaded his players to conform to his way or else… In one of the more famous Steinbrenner episodes, the Yankee owner decreed that his player’s hair could not be longer than the collar of the Yankees uniform. First baseman Don Mattingly was ordered to get rid of his mullet-like hair and when Mattingly refused, he was benched. This came to mark the beginning of a new hands-on approach to sport ownership.
The Boss was both loved and hated as the owner of the Yankees yet no one can deny that he was one of the most successful owners of any sports team throughout history. George did whatever in took to win, and win he certainly did. In 1973 Steinbrenner bought the Yankees for a meager $10,000,000. Today the franchise is estimated to be worth $1.5 billion. That’s quite a profit.
Apart from his stunning business approach, Steinbrenner ruled his team in a shrewd manner. He was notorious for the hiring and firing of his management. Steinbrenner hired and fired 17 managers during his first 17 years as the Yankees owner, including manager Billy Martin who was hired and fired 5 separate times.
Steinbrenner was originally against free agency but later embraced it and with his deals for Catfish Hunter and Reggie Jackson he was able to bring World Championships to NY in 1977 and ‘78. His wild dealings though caused quite a bit of later turmoil and as a result the Yankees failed to win a championship throughout the 80’s. This was their first decade without a championship ring since 1910.
The Boss stuck gold with superstar shortstop Derek Jeter, as well as manager Joe Toree. Together these two built the Yankees, with the help of Steinbrenner of course, into a dynasty. Winning the World Championships in 1996, 98, 99, 2000 and in 2009. He will not only be remember as the most influential baseball owner of all time but as a man who cared deeply about his players and their legacies as Yankees.
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