George Steinbrenner Dead at Age 80

Just over 2 weeks after turning 80 on the 4th of July, George Steinbrenner has died. After having a massive heart attack this morning in Florida, Steinbrenner was rushed to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, but could not be saved. For baseball fans around the world, the name George Steinbrenner is synonymous with the New York Yankees and winning. Whether you loved or hated the man, he was a force to be reckoned with and his results spoke for themselves. Steinbrenner oversaw 11 pennants and 7 World Series titles and has forever left a mark on the New York Yankees and baseball in general.

This news comes just days after long-time Yankee Stadium announcer Bob Sheppard passed away, leaving an already grief-stricken community to mourn another. As a Red Sox fan, I spent all of my life despising Steinbrenner and his dominated teams of the 90’s. It seemed he was always running his mouth and make harsh decisions, which at the time was frustrating and frankly annoying, but when crunch time came, the Yankees were always there in September and October. He was a harsh business man who knew how to put together a winning ball-club and had the money to do so year in and year out.

From a loyal Red Sox fan to the former leader of the Evil Empire, you have left an indelible mark on the game of baseball. To quote Adam Schefter on Twitter this morning, “RIP, George Steinbrenner. Bob Sheppard already is there to announce your arrival.”