sportsjabber.net

On January 3, 1973 George Michael Steinbrenner and minority group of partners purchased the New York Yankees.

From the time he took control of the team to the time of his death Steinbrenner has never shied away from the spotlight and brought the team back to the dominance and history that the team has prided themselves on.

Looking back at the 30 years that Steinbrenner has been in control, they were dominating years and it makes him not only the best owner in baseball history, but also the most influential man in Yankees history.

Many men have donned the Yankees pinstripes. Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Derek Jeter and the list goes on with famous and Hall of Fame players but none of them effected the team as George Steinbrenner did.

Steinbrenner won his first of seven World Series titles in 1977 by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He said “Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing. Breathing first, winning next.” And it often showed as he put together some of the best teams in baseball history and from 1995-2007 the Yankees never missed the playoffs.

When he first took control of the Yankees he knew that the stadium needed renovation and he rebuilt the old stadium and eventually a brand new, billion dollar stadium in 2008.

What Steinbrenner has done has often infuriated people around baseball whether it was his comments or his spending money on free agents and often having the highest salary cap in baseball. Steinbrenner is the reason many people want a salary cap.

Whether or not you liked “The Boss”, there is no denying what he did for baseball.

He is the most influential man in Yankees history and will be very dearly missed

http://forums.sportsjabber.net/sjforums/showthread.php?t=58268