George Steinbrenner died today. I am surprised by how this news has affected me. I didn’t know him; I never met him. His Yankee teams kept my Atlanta baseball teams from World Series rings more times than I want to admit. I don’t know exactly what it is about him, but he piqued my interest and captured my imagination in ways I do not really understand.
“Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing. Breathing first, winning next”.
What I liked most about Mr. Steinbrenner was his total dedication to doing whatever it took to win. He was an innovator and a risk taker. I heard a news account today that said he bought the Yankees for $10 million. They are now worth $1.5 billion. He placed a premium on winning and nothing else would do. He had a reputation for being hard on managers, he fired them all. He had a reputation for being hard nosed, but he would say about himself, “I’m really 95 percent Mr. Rogers, and only 5 percent Oscar the Grouch.” I think he just knew what he wanted and he had a vision for excellence in everything he did. People like that are hard on non-performance.
“”I was often misquoted. I was supportive of my managers, even though they all may not think so”.
Whether you liked Mr. Steinbrenner or not you have to admit that he was an innovator. He thought outside the box and he would do whatever it took to accomplish the vision he had set forth for himself and his organization. His personality was bigger than life and that usually gives people pause. But I say that is what makes baseball and life worth doing.
“I am tough. Sometimes I’m unreasonable. I have to catch myself every once in a while”.
Like I said, I did not know the man, but I think baseball and America will miss the man. He made life come alive. It appears that you did not have to wonder where you stood with him, he let you know. Just keep winning and everything will be OK.
“I haven’t always done a good job, and I haven’t always been
successful – but I know that I have tried”.
George Steinbrenner
1930 – 2010
