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Angels’ Moreno remembers Steinbrenner

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Arte Moreno, the Angels’ owner, grew up as a fan of the New York Yankees. He remembered Yankees owner George Steinbrenner on Tuesday as a high-profile owner and as a businessman driven to succeed.

‘He was one of the most colorful people in baseball,’ Moreno said. ‘A lot of people don’t realize when he bought the team they were drawing like 500,000 people a year. They do that in about a week now.”

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The Yankees drew 966,328 fans in 1972, a decade removed from the club’s previous World Series championship. By the time Steinbrenner turned the management reins over to his sons, the club sold 4 million tickets in four consecutive years and had won six World Series titles, with a seventh under Steinbrenner ownership last year.

‘He had one statement I remember, back when his team wasn’t doing too well,’ Moreno said, ‘and he talked about how it was his responsibility for his fans -- the guys driving trucks, driving taxis and working in the New York area -- to put a winner on the field.

‘So I just thought, if you’re going to own a team, it’s part of your responsibility to be a part of the community and put a competitive team on the field.’

-- Bill Shaikin

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