Infamous Yankees Owner, George Steinbrenner, Dies at 80

Yankees fan or not, everyone can agree that George Steinbrenner left behind a baseball dynasty. His ability to rebuild the New York Yankees with sky high payrolls and nothing less than World Series material made him a legend. His ability to fire managers, butt heads with commissioners and fellow owners, and insult his players earned him the nickname "The Boss."It's safe to say that George Steinbrenner expected nothing less than perfection.

The man who both inspired and terrified the Yankees for more than three decades, died today of a heart attack at age 80. He was taken from his home in Tampa, FL to St. John's hospital where he died at 6:30 am.

Once having angered fans with his seemingly hot headed antics, Steinbrenner calmed down during the last decade of his ownership. As a result, fans and colleagues alike began to admire Steinbrenner for what he had accomplished with the New York Yankees.

In almost 38 years as owner, Steinbrenner built an empire by taking a team worth $10 million and making them worth $1.6 billion. According to Yahoo News this mammoth of a team became the model for modern franchise and had everything from its own television station to its own brand of ballpark food.

Under Steinbrenner the Yankees won seven World Series Championships, 11 American League Pennants, and 16 AL East titles. He also moved the Yankees into their own $1.5 billion stadium and made household names out of players like Derek Jeter.

But perhaps Steinbrenner will be remembered more for his larger than life personality which transcended the sports world and made him an icon. His infamous suspensions, one for illegally contributing to the re-election campaign of Richard Nixon and the other for paying well known gambler Howie Spira to obtain negative information on outfielder Dave Winfield, catapulted him into pop culture stardom. His tirades made him national celebrity and his team's success made him a legend.

Steinbrenner's health began to deteriorate in 2003. Since then he officially handed over the family business to his son Hal in 2008. Regardless of health, those who were close to Steinbrenner say he ruled with passion, dedication, detail, and iron fist until his dying day. Nothing ever got by him and no one dared to mess with "The Boss."

Sources:
Yahoo News
ESPN Video