Remembering George Steinbrenner
Seeing pictures this afternoon from the home opener at Yankee Stadium brought back many fond memories of my years in the New York Yankees' front office. While the decision I made to leave the Yankees after the 2001 season was difficult, it turned out to be the right move as my long-term interests were evolving and taking my life in a different direction. As I tell those who ask, working in baseball operations for the Yankees was exactly what I wanted to do with my life at that time, but it turned out to not be what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing, which was why I transitioned to the NCAA.
People often ask for stories from my time with the Yankees. Most of my favorite stories and memories, and certainly my most entertaining, have to do with the late George Steinbrenner, the legendary team owner. I was fortunate to have a relationship with George during my six years in the organization and beyond. George was known for his demanding leadership style, his quick temper, and his battles with employees and players, earning him the nickname "The Boss." George was an iconic figure who transcended sports. He once hosted “Saturday Night Live.” He was famously depicted as a recurring character on “Seinfeld.” As Derek Jeter was once quoted as saying, “He’s arguably the most recognized owner in all of sports.”
My experiences with George confirmed for me that he could be demanding and irritable and that he loved a good battle with an adversary. But as with all public figures, George had other sides to his personality that were usually overlooked by the media. For example, I learned that George was exceptionally loyal and incredibly generous when the media was not present. I witnessed him helping out families of employees in times of need, and others in need with whom he had only a loose affiliation.
I learned that George could be genuinely sensitive to and concerned with the well-being and development of his employees. I will never forget the day that I told George I was planning to move on from the organization and relocate closer to my Midwestern roots. He sat with me and talked about his future plans for me and asked me to consider what I was giving up. Being the driven workaholic that he was, he may have never completely understood my decision to make a career transition for personal reasons that would take me off the fast track, but he accepted it. He vowed to provide his support and wrote a generous letter of recommendation. He connected me with one of his influential colleagues in college sports who mentored me during my transition to the NCAA. During my final week in the office, George gave me a framed photograph of Challenger, the bald eagle that became a symbol of the Yankees. After I left, George and I occasionally corresponded through the mail. He always remained a friend and supporter.
I have many stories of entertaining experiences with George, but if I had to choose a favorite, it was a trip to New York with him and three top Yankees baseball executives (George lived in Tampa, and the player development and scouting staffs worked in Tampa full time). Our group was on its way to meet with the league office during a time when Hideki Irabu wanted to leave Japanese pro baseball to pitch in the Major Leagues and the Yankees were battling with the San Diego Padres over which team had the right to sign him. I was fortunate to be included in the trip because it was only my first year with the team - it was just one of many examples of George and Mark Newman, then head of Yankees Player Development and Scouting, giving me professional development opportunities.
When we arrived at the airport to take off in his plane, George seemed enthusiastic about the chance to travel with his “baseball guys.” He had trays of sandwiches and snacks ready, and he eagerly offered us refreshments when we boarded. When everyone else declined George’s offer of food, I gladly stepped up and accepted a sandwich, which delighted him. During the flight, somehow the movie “Hoosiers” became a topic of conversation; it was one of George’s favorites. When I sheepishly admitted that I had never seen “Hoosiers,” George shouted incredulously, “What?!” He immediately began barking orders to the two pilots to have a copy of the movie on the flight for the return to Tampa. Sure enough on that return flight a couple days later, I watched “Hoosiers” for the first time with George Steinbrenner narrating throughout, clearly thrilled about the chance to share the film he loved so much with his young employee.
While I do not regret my decision to leave the Yankees, I am extremely grateful for the time I spent in the organization and the chance I had to learn from The Boss. He played a major role in shaping me and my career, and most importantly, he became a true friend.