A solid Steinbrenner legacy

Photo Credit: https://apnews.com/c32f64faaff34073a579f299688d43d1

George Steinbrenner is a household name, despite the fact that he passed away over a decade ago, and was a very niche businessman. The man who owned the New York Yankees franchise became extremely well known over his years in the business, not only for his position in the scope of sports, but also for his many contributions to the Tampa Bay area.

How does someone come to acquire one of the most famous baseball franchises? Let’s start from the beginning, Steinbrenner grew up in Ohio and learned a lot about business from selling eggs door to door. After joining the United States Airforce and following honorable discharge, he went on to earn a Masters degree in Physical Education. After his combination of experiences and with his father’s disapproval, he decided to enter into the sport franchise business. After his ownership of the Cleveland Pipers folded, he purchased the New York Yankees for $8.8 million.

From there on out he transformed the franchise, he became famous for how rapidly he changed the management structure, changing managers twenty times in twenty-three seasons. He created rules and standards for his players that will live on to represent the organization the way he intended it. For example, Yankees are not allowed to have any facial hair, per Steinbrenner’s militaristic, clean-cut expectations.

In 1993, he left day-to-day baseball operations to the actual sport management team, and he then became more involved in charitable causes from 2006 to his death, he spent most of his time in Tampa, Florida. The Yankees’ spring training facility is located in Tampa, and Steinbrenner also had a personal residence in the area.

As for his impact outside of the Yankees franchise, he certainly left a legacy on the people of Tampa, Florida. In 2009, a Hillsborough County high-school was named in his honor. Why name a high-school after a sports franchise businessman? Because Steinbrenner was so much more than just the owner of the Yankees.

Steinbrenner supported many individuals and charities in the Tampa Bay area, including the Boys and Girls Club and Salvation Army. He also donated $1 million to St. Joseph's Children's Hospital where a wing was then named in his honor.

These are just some of the larger examples of charitable things he has done for the Tampa community. Many of his contributions to individuals and organizations may have not received large recognition, but they were certainly frequent. Steinbrenner intended to leave his mark on individuals, that was the most important thing to him. His story may have been a bit non-traditional, but he definitely made an impact on his fans, partners, and beneficiaries.