Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner Dies

George Steinbrenner, the man who rebuilt the New York Yankees, has died. He was 80. Steinbrenner, who used his seemingly unlimited resources to get the best talents money can buy in making the Yankees a billion-dollar empire, suffered a heart attack early Tuesday and was rushed to the St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida. He was declared dead at around 6:30am.

Steinbrenner became the Yankees owner on January 3, 1973, when his group bought the team for $10 million from CBS Inc. In the next 37 years, Steinbrenner would turn the Yankees into a $1.6-billion empire, winning seven World Series in the process. The Boss, as Steinbrenner was known in the Yankees organization, was a hands-on leader who oversaw everything from trades to maintenance of the team’s stadium. His dedication often put him in a collision course with just about everyone who did not agree with his ideas, including managers and even MLB chief Bud Selig.

“Although we would have disagreements over the years, they never interfered with our friendship and commitment to each other. Our friendship was built on loyalty and trust and it never wavered,” Selig said. Steinbrenner’s family described him in a statement as “a visionary and a giant in the world of sports. He took a great but struggling franchise and turned it into a champion again.”

Steinbrenner’s family said his funeral would be private for the time being, but a public service would later be announced.