George Steinbrenner

George Michael Steinbrenner III is an American businessman and the principal owner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees.

Fast Facts:

1. Born: July 4, 1930
2. Nickname: "The Boss" or "The Kaiser"
3. Principal owner of New York Yankees since 1973
4. Teams have won 9 pennants and 6 World Series (1977-78, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000)
5. Has changed Managers 21 times, and General Managers 11 times in 31 years
6. Banned from baseball for life in 1990
7. Reinstated in 1993
8. Convicted of illegal campaign contributions to Richard Nixon; suspended from baseball for fifteen months between 1974 and 1976
9. Banned from baseball for life in 1990; reinstated in 1993

Early Life

The son of a wealthy Cleveland-area shipping magnate, Steinbrenner capitalized on the family fortune to become the chairman of the American Shipbuilding Company. Although shipbuilding was how he made his money, Steinbrenner was determined to invest his earnings in sports franchises. When CBS offered the Yankee franchise for sale in 1973, Steinbrenner assembled a team of private investors, with him at the helm, to make the purchase.

Yankees Owner

Steinbrenner quickly developed a reputation as a "hands-on" owner who was not afraid to use the media to express his displeasure (or pleasure) with the progress of the team. Steinbrenner also developed a reputation as an owner not afraid to spend money to attract star free agents to his club, first by signing Catfish Hunter to a lucrative four year, $2.85 million deal in 1974, and later by signing Reggie Jackson to a five year, $2.96 million deal in 1976. While the Yankees performance between 1973 and 1975 was lackluster, his investment would really begin to pay off beginning in the 1976 season when the Yankees won the American League pennant. World Series victories followed in 1977 and 1978, although there would be an eighteen-year gap before the Yankees won again in 1996. Steinbrenner's hands-on style frequently grated on his managers, most notably on the nerves of Billy Martin, a manager who he would hire and fire five different times.

Recent Developments

In recent years, Steinbrenner has given fewer and fewer interviews, and at the end of the 2007 season, he formally handed over day-to-day operations of the club to his son, Hank Steinbrenner.

His outspokenness and role in driving up player salaries have made him one of the sport's more controversial figures.

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