Wednesday, 04 December 2024

George Steinbrenner

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Contributors 2024
Embed from Getty Images
Sport(s): Basketball & Hockey Owner
Statistics: 7 World Series Championships (1977, 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 & 2009)
2 Stanley Cup Championships (2000 & 2003)
Keeping the story of George Steinbrenner brief will be challenging, but it can be summed up in two sentences:

He was controversial and disliked by many.
He wanted to win, and he won a lot.

Steinbrenner bought the New York Yankees in 1973, and throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he was always in the news, often for clownish decisions and feuds with his own players. While that was true, he was not afraid to spend money to get the best talent he could, and the Yankees' profile, which was already colossal, grew under him.

The Yankees won the 1977 and 1978 World Series and were competitive through the early 1980s before they struggled for years. Steinbrenner, who hired and fired managers at will, frustrating players and fans alike. In 1990, Steinbrenner was suspended by MLB commissioner Fay Vincent, from day-to-day operations, due to him paying a noted gambler to dig up "dirt" on former player Dave Winfield.

Steinbrenner was allowed to return in 1993, but when he did, he was less hands-on, and his team responded with five more World Series championships and constant playoff appearances. It was stable ownership, and the Yankees thrived under it.

Notably, Steinbrenner also won two Stanley Cups as a part-owner of the New Jersey Devils.

There is so much that can be said about Steinbrenner, but there was no doubt he loved his team, and the rabid New York base understood that better than anyone.

We are proud to nominate George Steinbrenner for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.

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