An Anecdote About Steinbrenner from a Real Insider
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My sons grew up as major Yankee fans during the 1970s and 80s, when George Steinbrenner, who just died of a massive heart attack, was the colorful Yankee owner who captured the headlines.
As a single mom I often took them to Yankee stadium as a special reward. I knew that Steinbrenner was both a philanthropist and a bully who dissed Yogi Berra and changed managers like most people change oil filters.
But Steinbrenner spent big money. He had New York chutzpah. And he bought the super-talented players needed to create one of the great baseball dynasties of all time.
One of these players was goodnatured star outfielder Dave Winfield.
In 1997 I was going out with the former commissioner of baseball, Fay Vincent. He told me that in 1989, when Vincent was commissioner, Dave Winfield sued Steinbrenner for failing to pay the Winfield Foundation the $300,000 that had been guaranteed in the outfielder's contract.
To get back at Winfield, Steinbrenner paid $40,000 to gambler Howie Spira, to dig up dirt on Winfield.
Not good. It was a sordid situation.
So on July 30, 1990, Fay Vincent banned George Steinbrenner for life from running the Yankees. This controversial decision enraged Steinbrenner and he bad-mouthed Vincent from that point on.
Two years later, Vincent allowed Steinbrenner to return for the 1993 season. But the team owners, led by Steinbrenner, rebelled against Vincent, who was not reinstated as commissioner.
Through my relationship with Vincent, I heard stories about his long-time love of baseball, and meeting legends including Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio. Fay Vincent believed in fair play, and would have liked to have continued as commissioner. But Steinbrenner, and the baseball team owners, were ultimately more powerful.
Hanging with Fay Vincent made me realize even more about the pitfalls of money and power. And how too much of both can nourish bullying and grudges in American-as-apple-pie baseball. And in any field.
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Comments
Whether or not that's a good thing is another question altogether.
Thanks.
Sheila, but I can't tell the best stories.
Steve, it was a combo of raw deal and what libertarias said.
There is no end to the riches of your life story, Lea!! At this point, you could post that you dated both George Clooney and Brad Pitt, and I wouldn't even be surprised....
(I had my moments, but these current, quietly coupled moments are the best.)
In baseball, democracy shines its clearest. The only race that matters is the race to the bag. The creed is the rule book. Color merely means something to distinguish one team’s uniform from another
Fay , when judicating had only these two thing in mind--the best interest of baseball and preserving the national past time
Dorinda, that's not the interesting stuff, but it's the most relevant.
OC, too funny. I guess I could have reinstated Pete Rose, too.
Thanks for a peak into another aspect of his personality.
Spud, he was one of those who garnered strong feelings, even from Yankee fans.
Duane, off to read your post about another legend.
More important, though: did George (or any players) ever hit on you? And was Fay good in bed? Priorities, please!
R
Steve, I never met Cindy Lauper. I've met everyone else.
Great post Lea.
Steve
Jon, I hope I have some insight. I guess I've experienced enough to learn.
During the 1980s and early 1990s when the Yankees were a mess, Yankee fans despised Steinbrenner's tabloid-feeding ways and Yankee haters didn't seem to care much about the pocketless spending habits of the Bronx Bombers' owner.
Suddenly, when the Yankees started winning again, Yankee fans adored the Boss and Yankee haters vilified the Evil Empire as an example of all that's wrong with the sport.
As we remember Steinbrenner, we should recall the good and the bad. I still hate how he handled his managers in the 1970s, 80s and early 90s. (Yogi Berra for a while refused to have anything to do with the Yankees because of the way he was treated). I still hate what he did to Dave Winfield. I still hate his crazy tampering and ballistic statements to the press that often did more harm than good.
But I love his commitment to win. I love his preservation of Yankee tradition and history. I love his investment in the team. He bought the franchise at its lowest point for a mere 10 million dollars and turned that team around, retunring it to glory, and making it arguably the most valuable sports property in the world.
I remember Dave Winfield from the Angels when I often took my 3 year old daughter to the games. She was enthrallled, even at that age, with the grandness of the stadium and the game.
It just occurred to me that between who you know and who I know, we are not only connected here, but probably by degrees of separation. Would be a great game to play sometime.
Anyway, thanks for the insight. Paul's dad (Bart's) dying was a hard thing for baseball. I can't imagine how tough a job Vincent walked into.
Nick, thanks for the great info.
Karin, colorful, I guess so.
Boomer Bob, we seem to keep memories of childhood and baseball-- whether as the child or the parent.
Lorraine, "Fay" is an Irish nickname for Francis.
CrazeCzar, you have to be sure of yourself to have that nickname.
Boomer Bob, you used colorful too. Interesting how baseball is one of those institutions which favors family memories.
Lorraine, "Fay" is an Irish nickname for a boy named Francis. A stuck.
I've been a Mets fan since the Mets began. Steinbrenner made it easy to hate the Yankees even more. Both because he seemed like such a jerk and because his Yankee teams were so good.
Frank, The Boss sure was easy to hate if you were anything but a Yankee fan.
Where are those PM's???
Sally, the stories some of us can ( and sometimes do) tell. PMs to come.
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http://open.salon.com/blog/kikstad/2010/07/14/remembering_the_good_and_the_bad_of_george_steinbrenner