Ross Newhan shares his thoughts on George Steinbrenner

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Former Times baseball columnist and baseball Hall of Famer Ross Newhan shares his thoughts on the death of George Steinbrenner on his blog, Newhan on Baseball. An excerpt is below:

‘The camera of the mind will always see George Steinbrenner, in his patented white turtleneck and blue blazer, storming through the catacombs of the old Yankee Stadium in the cold of the October playoffs to confront a player, coach or manager regarding a questionable play or decision.

He was a blitzkrieg in motion, passionate and bombastic, a man whose syndicate bought the floundering New York Yankees from CBS for $10 million in 1973 and returned them to flagship status, valued by Forbes Magazine in April at $1.6 billion, far and away baseball’s richest and most valuable. Steinbrenner, ailing over the last few years, died Tuesday morning at 80, his Yankees having won seven World Series titles and 11 American League pennants under his ownership, and if, with their $210-million paryoll, they came to be known as the Evil Empire, as labeled by Boston Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino, I will always recall a 1984 interview with him at his Yankee Stadium office in which he didn’t back away from his style or success.

‘Am I obsessed with winning,’ he said. ‘Absolutely. ‘I’m obsessed with winning and everything that goes with it -- discipline, pride, achievement. Isn’t that the essence of this country? Isn’t that what New York is all about and the Yankees always should be? I have no reason to apologize.’

You can read the entire post at Newhan’s blog.

-- Houston Mitchell