George Steinbrenner Credit: O'Meara/AP

“…there is nothing quite so limited in life than being a limited partner of George Steinbrenner,” original Yankee unequal partner John McNullen said when asked why he was selling out.
George Steinbrenner, the George Patton of baseball owners (he quoted the general and classical figures frequently), the most dominant figure in New York sports, died today at age 80.

He took over a once great but humiliated Yankee baseball team in 1973 for only $168,000 (his 15 other limited partners kicked in the remaining 8.8 million) from CBS, and by the force of his intimidating personality (exploiting the free-agent era, inventing ingenious PR theatrics and brokering market deals) turned the Yankees into a billion-dollar franchise.

During his record-breaking rein Steinbrenner bullied his team into 11 pennants and seven world championships.  He also maneuvered himself into two serious suspensions from baseball and badgered, fought, micromanaged 12 managers (including hiring and firing Billy Martin five times), 14 general managers and countless Yankee players, where he was most often on the city’s front pages.

When he wasn’t at the throats of employees Steinbrenner battled with everyone else in the sport, from team owners to commissioners to umpires.  There were also serious droughts (no pennants for 15 years starting in 1982) related to Steinbrenner’s win-now strategy of free agency at the expense of their lavish farm system.  However, another renaissance emerged during The Boss’ second suspension where home-grown Yankees percolated into the team, along with the hiring of manager Joe Torre in 1995.

Depression-ear Cleveland was Steinbrenner’s hometown, where his demanding dad made him the relentless force that he became, first overwhelming his father’s shipbuilding business and carving out a $100 million empire on his own.  Despite Steinbresser’s successes he could never please his critical father, Henry.  “I bought the Mona Lisa of sports teams,” Steinbrenner told his dad after getting the Yankees. “You finally did something right,” Henry told him in way that was not pleasing.