Sports

 

 

The End of the Era of Geor

By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor

(3 of the most controversial
and turbulent, albeit successful, tenures
in Major League Baseball history has
come to a close. George Steinbrenner,

suffering from steadily declining health,

has stepped down and handed over the
ownership of his beloved New York
Yankees to his two sons, Hank and Hal.

Owner of one of the most prolific
teams in sports since 1973, when he
purchased the Yankees for $8.7-million,
Steinbrenner has morphed them into a
$1.2-billion business. Now 77, George
Steinbrenner has stepped down with the
onset of the beginnings of dementia.

While many baseball pundits blame
Steinbrenner for the salary explosion in
baseball, he has earned respect among
baseball executives for his success
rate. During his 35 year tenure as the
Yankee’s principal owner, the man
known as “The Boss” has captured six
World Series titles, including a dynastic
run that included four World Series
championships—in the five years from
1996-2000—ten AL crowns, and has
made the Yankees into one of the most
profitable sports franchises in the spots-
entertainment history.

While highly successful,
Steinbrenner’s ownership term can
best be described as tumultuous and
often chaotic. In his first 23 years as the
Yankees owner, Steinbrenner hired and
fired 20 separate managers— including
Billy Martin five times from 1975-
1988—until Joe Torre was hired and
brought stability to the team. George
Steinbrenner is truly a man who has
been to both ends of the sporting
spectrum.

Steinbrenner was considered a
wasteful owner, pouring far too much
money into his team until the Yankees

captured consecutive World Series titles

 

“The man known as ‘The Boss’ has captured
six World Series titles and has made the
Yankees into one of the most profitable sports

franchises in the spots-entertainment history.”

in 1977-78. He was a recipient of the
Flying Wedge Award, given annually
by the NCAA to “an individual who
exemplifies outstanding leadership

and service to the NCAA.” Since their
dynasty began in 1996, New York has
made the playoffs every year, including
coming short in the World Series finals
in 2001 and 2003. He helped transfigure
baseball by becoming the first owner

in history to sell TV cable rights. He’s
been parodied in Seinfeld, mentioned
the in the Simpsons, and has hosted
Saturday Night Live.

Despite his success, controversy,
and extended team breakdowns have
established Steinbrenner as debatably
the most infamous owner in baseball.
Because of his unpredictable and
volatile style, New York has become

 

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known as ‘the Bronx zoo.’

Steinbrenner is famous—or should
I say infamous—for his extreme
spending sprees on free agents, and
then subsequently feuding with them.
Including the notorious signing of
outfielder Dave Winfield, who became
the highest paid player in baseball after
Steinbrenner signed him to ten-year,
$23-million deal in 1981. Steinbrenner
would later give Winfield the degrading
nickname ‘Mr. May’ for Winfield’s lack
of playoff production.

Steinbrenner would receive a
lifetime ban from baseball in July, 1990
for paying a small-time gambler $40
000 to dig up dirt on Winfield. Winfield
had was in the midst of a lawsuit against
Steinbrenner for failure to pay a $300
000 clause in his contract. The ban was
revoked in 1993.

Steinbrenner was also indicted
on 14 criminal charges for making
illegal contributions to disgraced ex-
US President Richard Nixon. He was
convicted of two charges and fined,
but pardoned in 1989 by former US
President Ronald Reagan.

He earned contempt from Yankees
fans after his team’s prolonged absence
from the postseason from 1981-1994,
although the Yankees were leading
their division during the 1994 season,
in which the World Series and playoffs
were cancelled due to the baseball
labour disruption.

Controversy and triumph, love and
hatred, no matter what you think of
George Steinbrenner as he descends
from his position atop the throne of
baseball’s biggest team, there can be no
arguing or debating that without George
Steinbrenner, baseball would never have
been the same.