Joe Sager
News Correspondent
NEW CASTLE —
George Steinbrenner’s death sent shock waves around the baseball world.
Lawrence County, with its strong base of New York Yankees fans, certainly felt them.
Locals awoke yesterday to reports that Steinbrenner had suffered a heart attack and was rushed to a Tampa-area hospital. Later, it was announced the 80-year-old former Yankees owner had died. That sent off a flurry of text messages and calls to area fans as they turned on their TVs and checked the Internet for more information.
“I was surprised,” New Castle resident Don Nogay Sr. said. “He was a heck of a man.”
Steinbrenner was the second famous Yankee lost this week. Legendary public address announcer Bob Sheppard died Sunday at his Long Island home.
“That is sad,” wrote Seattle Mariners general manager and New Castle native Jack Zduriencik via email from last night’s All-Star Game in Anaheim. “Two lost icons in New York Yankees history, George and Bob Sheppard.”
Added Mark Manifrang, a lifelong Yankees fan and Union High boys basketball assistant coach, “There will be two more spots in Monument Park next year, that’s for sure.”
That honor seems fitting, especially for Steinbrenner as he helped restore the Yankees franchise in his 37-plus years of ownership. He oversaw seven World Series championships, 11 American League pennants and 16 AL East titles.
Along the way, he gained notoriety for his no-nonsense approach to running the organization, earning the nickname “The Boss.”
“I think he was the best thing baseball had. He kept baseball going,” said Joe Foley, a retired New Castle News employee. “He was a big thing for New York. I am sorry to see him pass away.”
Steinbrenner was a polarizing figure, but he found plenty of success.
“A lot of people don’t like him because of the way he spent money. He spent money, there’s no doubt, but also developed their minor league system. Look at guys like (Jorge) Posada, (Derek) Jeter, (Mariano) Rivera, (Andy) Pettite and (Robinson) Cano,” Manifrang said. “He was a smart guy. He was a tough guy, too. He did a lot of good things, but he had that authoritarian attitude. He did bring a winner. He did what a lot of other teams couldn’t do, also. He kept his players.”
Added Nogay: “He ran an extremely tight ship and was volatile, but he had a heart probably as big as a Mack truck. George set the standard for that organization. To me, they seemed to be a very class organization. They seem to act professionally everywhere you go. To me, that’s important. I think they are a better team for it. I think he would have been someone great to play for and work for.”
THE VISIONARY
Steinbrenner bought the Yankees for about $10 million in 1973 and built the franchise into an empire worth close to $1.2 billion. Larry Kelly, a local attorney and Yankees fan, admired Steinbrenner’s business savvy.
“I am a Yankees fan because I love the tradition of baseball. Nobody represents baseball’s timeless traditions better than the Yankees,” Kelly said. “Even though his methods could be questioned, the results could not. He turned the franchise around and brought back the tradition. People disliked him because he spent a lot on free agents. But, he believed in star power not only to win games, but to increase the value of the franchise, too.
“He was a visionary. He created so much income for his team. It’s also the teams like Pirates and Kansas City who benefit from Steinbrenner’s vision because the Yankees fund teams like the Pirates with revenue sharing and luxury taxes.
(Pirates principal owner) Bob Nutting should send a thank you letter to the Steinbrenner family,” he continued. “Whether you like them or not, when the Yankees show up in your town, the stadium sells out and you don’t have to shoot off fireworks or give away bobblehead dolls to get people to come out. As crazy as it sounds, people probably owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Steinbrenner.”
GIVING BACK
While Steinbrenner could come off as ruthless, at times, with his penchant for firing employees — mainly manager Billy Martin — he had an extremely generous side, too.
“The biggest thing that sticks out in my mind is his heart and sincerity. On the surface, when he ran the team, he wanted to win in the worst way. He always said that breathing comes first and winning comes second,” Nogay said. “The thing that gets me the most — I think an awful lot of people misunderstand him from the standpoint of his charitable contributions. In the Tampa area, there are so many different businesses and buildings named after him. I remember reading an article where someone had stolen band uniforms from a high school in Tampa. George heard about it, came in and bought them all new band uniforms and moved on and didn’t want any attention. He had a big heart.”
Dave Cook and his family, have made the pilgrimage to New York at least once a year for the past few years to watch the Yankees. He is a life-long fan and knows Steinbrenner could be tough to handle, at times, but was generous.
“That’s something I always think about,” he said. “I heard in 2000 when the Mets played the Yankees in the World Series, he stayed behind to watch one of the games by himself in the lockerroom. For some reason, there had been a small fire in the stadium and the fire department had come there to put it out. George pulled out of a wad of money and started giving it to the firemen. People don’t realize he is very generous. He gave a lot to charity.”
WORKING FOR THE BOSS
Union High graduate Matt DeSalvo had the privilege of working for Steinbrenner. Following a stellar career at Marietta College, the Yankees signed the New Castle native and he made his Major League debut in New York on May 7, 2007. DeSalvo appeared in seven games for the Yankees that year before signing with the Atlanta Braves as a free agent.
“To hear about that was definitely shocking. It’s been a rough week for the Yankees,” DeSalvo said. “I actually never got to meet him. From all of the people I have known who knew him, like Yankees security people and staff, they all said he is a humanitarian.
“For instance, in my first big league training camp, there was a prospect who was crossing the street one day and was hit by a car. He was hurt very badly, but George stepped in and picked up his whole hospital bill.
“People look at his personality and how he wanted to win so badly. He is definitely more than that, from what I have heard. He is a very special person. For someone who is very wealthy, he shared his wealth in a lot of ways. I can only imagine what Yankee Stadium is going to be like. Some owners in baseball, you never really see them. He was with the players — his presence was felt with the players. He had an effect on the games. Although he never met me, in some indirect way, he made an in impact on my life for giving me a chance to play with the Yankees. I am grateful to him for that.”
