George Steinbrenner

George Michael Steinbrenner III (born July 4, 1930 in Rocky River, Ohio), often known as "The Boss", is the principal owner of the New York Yankees. He used to own an interest in the New Jersey Nets and the New Jersey Devils. His outspokenness and role in driving up player salaries have made him one of baseball's more controversial figures, though his willingness to spend to build the club (and its postseason success since 1976) have earned him grudging respect from some baseball executives.

A controversial Boss

Steinbrenner is famous for both his pursuit of high-priced free agents and, in some cases, infamous for feuding with them.

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He changed managers 20 times in his first 23 seasons (including firing Billy Martin 5 times and re-hiring him 4 times) and general managers 11 times in 30 years. Martin once said of Steinbrenner and his $3 million outfielder Reggie Jackson, "One's a born liar and the other's convicted." The comment resulted in Martin's first firing.

Related Topics:
Billy Martin - Reggie Jackson

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The "convicted" part of Martin's comment referred to Steinbrenner's connection to Richard Nixon: he was indicted on 14 criminal counts on April 5, 1974 and plead guilty to making illegal contributions to Nixon's re-election campaign and obstruction of justice. He was fined $20,000. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspended him on November 27, later reduced by 9 months. He returned to the Yankees in 1976. Ronald Reagan pardoned him on January 19, 1989 in what amounted to the final official act of his presidency.

Related Topics:
Richard Nixon - April 5 - 1974 - Bowie Kuhn - November 27 - 1976 - Ronald Reagan - January 19 - 1989

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On July 30, 1990, commissioner Fay Vincent banned Steinbrenner from baseball for life after he paid Howie Spira, a small-time gambler, $40,000 for "dirt" on his outfielder Dave Winfield after Winfield sued him for failing to pay his foundation the $300,000 guaranteed in his contract. Steinbrenner was reinstated in 1993.

Related Topics:
July 30 - 1990 - Fay Vincent - Howie Spira - Dave Winfield - 1993

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In addition to being an intense Boss to his on-field employees, Steinbrenner is also known for pressuring and changing off-field employees (including various publicity directors), sometimes chewing them out in public. Former sportscaster Hank Greenwald, who called Yankee games on WABC radio for two years, once said he knew when Steinbrenner was in town by how tense the office staff was.

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Ironically, the Yankee owner usually kept his complaints about the team broadcasters he approves (who, except for the YES Network crew have generally not been his direct employees) out of the newspapers. However, he's been known to be upset with the sometimes blunt commentary of current broadcaster Jim Kaat and former analyst (and ex-Yankee) Tony Kubek.

Related Topics:
YES Network - Jim Kaat - Tony Kubek

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Steinbrenner's one publicly-aired gripe with a team announcer came when he accused respected Yankee broadcaster Bill White of low-keying his WMCA radio call of Chris Chambliss's pennant-winning home run in the 1976 American League Championship Series. The actual aircheck of the live broadcast (on the Major League Baseball website) finds an unusually emotional White calling the homerun and its aftermath -- so excited as the ball was in flight that his voice broke.

Related Topics:
Bill White - WMCA - Chris Chambliss

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