Politicians to ex-players praise The Boss
Last Updated: 6:50 PM, July 13, 2010
Posted: 3:16 PM, July 13, 2010
Mayor Bloomberg:
Our hearts and prayers go out to the entire Steinbrenner family. This is a sad day not only for Yankee fans, but for our entire city, as few people have had a bigger impact on New York over the past four decades than George Steinbrenner.
George had a deep love for New York, and his steely determination to succeed combined with his deep respect and appreciation for talent and hard work made him a quintessential New Yorker.
George invested his heart and soul into the Yankees, and his competitive fire helped usher in new eras of Yankee greatness, reclaiming the teams long tradition of excellence and its position as the most successful franchise in the history of American sports.
He was a champion who made New York a better place, and who always gave back to the city he loved. He has left an indelible legacy on the Yankees, on baseball, and on our city, and he leaves us in the only way that would be appropriate: as a reigning world champion.
We will be lowering the flags in City Hall Plaza today in honor of his achievements. George was a larger than life New York figure whose passion and drive to succeed will forever be missed.
Former Mayor Giuliani:
Judith and I express our deepest condolences to the entire Steinbrenner family and of course to the much larger, New York Yankees family. George was a friend of mine for over 30 years. He was truly the most influential and innovative owner in all of sports.
He transformed baseball and sports broadcasting with the YES Network and brought New York seven World Series. Beyond that, he made the Yankees a source of great pride in being a New Yorker. George Steinbrenner's Yankees represent the will to overcome all odds which is precisely the will New Yorkers display when meeting every challenge they face. George will be greatly be missed but his legacy will carry on in the hearts and minds of all baseball fans.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs:
Maybe his greater lasting impact will be the organizations that he worked with and the charities that he worked with over a long and storied career that had a real impact on the lives of people all over this country, in addition to the championships he brought home to New York on the baseball diamond.
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.:
Today I join 1.4 million Bronxites, and Yankee fans across the world, in mourning the passing of a great man, The Boss, George Steinbrenner.
During his tenure as owner of the New York Yankees, Mr. Steinbrenner did everything in his power to create his own winning tradition in the Bronx, an effort that resulted in seven World Series championships. While other baseball fans were jealous of this success, Yankee fans, like myself, loved him for it.
Both the Bronx and New York City have lost a giant todayin baseball and in charityand my deepest condolences go out to the Steinbrenners and the entire New York Yankees family.
Tracy Dolgin, president and CEO of the YES Network:
We at YES are saddened by the passing of George M. Steinbrenner. He was a New York icon and a sports icon, a true visionary who will be greatly missed.
His vision of a team-owned regional sports network for the Yankees, resulting in the formation of the YES Network, revolutionized the sports business. Mr. Steinbrenner's influence on the world of sports is tremendous, and will be felt long after hes gone. Our prayers and thoughts go out to the Steinbrenner family and the Yankees organization.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand:
Today my thoughts and prayers are with the Steinbrenners and the entire Yankees family. George's single-minded drive in the pursuit of excellence and his devotion to family inspired people far beyond the baseball diamond. He will be greatly missed by those in pinstripes and baseball fans in New York and throughout the world.
Rep. Anthony Weiner:
Every fan wants an owner like The Boss. He did everything he could to buy great Yankees teams. If you werent a Yankee fan, chances are you hated George. But you have to respect all that he accomplished.
Gov. Paterson:
It is with great sadness and fond memories that New York says goodbye to George Steinbrenner-a larger than life sportsman and brilliant entrepreneur who presided over baseball's last dynasty and helped revolutionize the business of baseball. Mr. Steinbrenner's passion for the game was unmatched. He committed himself and all of the Yankees' resources to one thing and one thing only: winning. And he won quite often . . . Opposing players and fans may have bristled at his outspoken leadership over the years, but it was only because they wished they had a Steinbrenner of their own.
Mr. Steinbrenner passing comes on the morning of Major League Baseball's All-Star Game, a contest dedicated to the fans and to the glory of the game. This is a fitting tribute, as Mr. Steinbrenner was one of the last owners who felt as much loyalty and kinship with his fans as they felt with his team. So as Americans gather this evening to watch baseball's best-including six of his Yankees-I hope we all take a moment to remember the life and legacy of George Steinbrenner: the owner; the businessman; the husband and father; the Boss.
White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf:
George Steinbrenner was too complex a person to adequately describe in a short statement, but he was a great friend of mine and he will be missed. His impact on the game cannot be denied."
Former Gov. Cuomo:
Everyone knows George Steinbrenner went from loser to legend by taking a second division team with a struggling franchise in 1973 and turning it into a champion again.
But he was much more than a winner and a celebrity. There was no falseness in him. He did everything with his heart: His family, his friends, his team, his nation and his community. I'm not surprised that in the end he died by wearing it out.
Attorney General Cuomo:
George Steinbrenner was a giant among New Yorkers with a personality that transcended sports. Nobody in sports set the bar higher, and nobody delivered results like him.
George worked tirelessly to embed the Yankees championship tradition into new generations of fans, and his ever-apparent love for and dedication to the team and the city made him a true American icon.
While his loss is a profound one for New York City and baseball fans everywhere, we will also remember his incredible accomplishments and contributions. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.
Al Leiter, former Yankees pitcher and current YES Yankees analyst:
You couldnt ask for a better owner than George Steinbrenner. He always provided everything you needed to win a championship. His passion, intensity and his attention to detail were legendary, and he expected nothing but the best from you.
No one outworked him, and no one wanted to win more than he. He had a unique aura, a unique presence about him. When he walked into a room, his presence was felt immediately. I thoroughly enjoyed my times with the Yankees. It was, and is, a sports franchise like no other. Mr. Steinbrenner will be terribly missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Steinbrenner family.
Ken Singleton, former Orioles player and current YES Yankees analyst:
George Steinbrenner was a legend, a once-in-a-lifetime figure. He had tremendous vision, and the sports landscape not just the baseball landscape will never be the same.
He had an outsized personality. While I was playing with the Orioles, and later as a Yankees analyst, I witnessed first-hand the passion for winning he exhibited, and the way New Yorkers appreciated the resources he put into producing a championship team.
We'll never see another owner like him. I will always appreciate the opportunity Mr. Steinbrenner gave me to broadcast Yankee games. I will miss him dearly.
Adam Schefter, NFL Insider for ESPN:
RIP, George Steinbrenner. Bob Sheppard already is there to announce your arrival.
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