:Hank Steinbrenner
{{short description|American baseball executive (1957–2020)}}
{{for|the American soccer coach and executive|Hank Steinbrecher}}
{{redirect|Henry Steinbrenner|the ship|SS Henry Steinbrenner}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Hank Steinbrenner
|image =
|image_size =
|caption =
|birth_name = Henry George Steinbrenner III
|occupation = Co-owner of New York Yankees / Managing general partner
Minority partner Steinbrenner Racing
|birth_date = {{birth date|1957|4|2}}
|birth_place = Culver, Indiana, U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2020|4|14|1957|4|2|mf=yes}}
|death_place = Clearwater, Florida, U.S.
|children = 4
|parents = George Steinbrenner
Joan Steinbrenner
}}
Henry George Steinbrenner III (April 2, 1957 – April 14, 2020) was an American businessman who was a part owner and co-chairman of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was the older brother of the team's principal owner and managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner.
Early life
Steinbrenner was born in Culver, Indiana, the older son of George and Elizabeth Joan Steinbrenner (née Zieg),{{cite news |last1=Kepner |first1=Tyler |title=Hank Steinbrenner, an Heir to the Yankees, Is Dead at 63 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/sports/baseball/Hank-Steinbrenner-dead.html |access-date=1 June 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=14 April 2020}} both of German descent. He had two sisters, Jessica Steinbrenner and Jennifer Steinbrenner (formerly Swindal).{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2018/12/14/joan-steinbrenner-wife-of-late-yankees-owner-george-dies-at-83|title=Joan Steinbrenner, wife of late Yankees owner, dies at 83|date=December 14, 2018|agency=Post Sports Desk|publisher=New York Post|work=nypost.com|access-date=April 14, 2020}} Hank was named for his grandfather, Henry George Steinbrenner II, who maintained the family fortune in the Kinsman Transit Company shipping business, inherited from Sophia Steinbrenner and her mother Anna Minch.{{Cite news |date=1933-12-13 |title=Obituary of Sophia Steinbrenner |pages=7 |work=The Herald-Palladium |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-herald-palladium-obituary-of-sophia/829079/ |access-date=2023-07-14}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/11/08/obituaries/henry-g-steinbrenner-yankee-chief-s-father.html|title=Henry G. Steinbrenner, Yankee Chief's Father|date=November 8, 1983|agency=The Associated Press|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 14, 2020}}
Steinbrenner attended Culver Academy and Central Methodist College, where he played soccer and earned a degree in history and political science.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-08-01-sp-1432-story.html|title=Steinbrenner Selects His Son : Yankees: Owner's successor is subject to approval of team's partnership and other major league owners|date=August 1, 1990|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=April 14, 2020}}
Career
In the 1980s, Steinbrenner worked for the New York Yankees, which his father bought while he attended Culver Academy, gaining experience in baseball working with executives Lou Piniella, Woody Woodward, and Clyde King.{{cite web|url=https://www.ocala.com/article/LK/20080127/News/604227531/OS|title=Meet the new boss|first=Ronald|last=Blum|agency=The Associated Press|work=Ocala Star Banner|date=January 27, 2008|access-date=April 14, 2020}} He played a key role in selecting Lou Piniella as manager in 1986.{{cite web |last1=Hudson |first1=Maryann |title=Steinbrenner Selects His Son : Yankees: Owner's successor is subject to approval of team's partnership and other major league owners. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-08-01-sp-1432-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=24 July 2024}} In 1990, when George was suspended from baseball, the Yankees initially suggested Hank would succeed George as the team's managing partner. The other MLB owners indicated they would not approve Hank, and he stepped away from the team.{{cite web|first=Ira|last=Berkow|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/16/sports/sports-of-the-times-enter-nederlander-exit-george.html|title=SPORTS OF THE TIMES; Enter Nederlander; Exit George|work=The New York Times|date=August 16, 1990|access-date=April 14, 2020}}
Steinbrenner left baseball to run Kinsman Stable, the Steinbrenner-owned horse stable in Ocala, Florida. He also coached soccer at Vanguard High School in Ocala, became vice president and director of Bay Farms Corporation in 1985, and chairman of Minch Transit Company in 1987, and vice president of the Mid-Florida Hotels Corporation in 1990.{{cite web|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage-9503EFD61030F933A05750C0A9619C8B63.html|title=BASEBALL; The Steinbrenner Family|date=March 30, 2007|last=Litsky|first=Frank|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 14, 2020}} He also served on the board of directors for the Ocala Breeders Sales Company. In 2000, he partnered with Gwynn Racing to field a car in the National Hot Rod Association.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29034938/yankees-executive-hank-steinbrenner-dies-63-lengthy-illness|title=Yankees co-owner Hank Steinbrenner dies at 63 after lengthy illness|date=April 14, 2020|agency=ESPN News Services|publisher=ESPN|work=ESPN.com|access-date=April 14, 2020}}
From 2007 onward, George ceded most day-to-day control of the Yankees to Hal and Hank due to failing health.{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=5376629|title=Hal Steinbrenner remains in charge of Yankees|date=July 13, 2010|website=ESPN.com}}
During his stewardship of the Yankees, Hank, like his father, gained a reputation for being outspoken.{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=3271124&type=story|title=Hank Steinbrenner, in another outspoken moment, denounces Red Sox Nation|work=ESPN.com|date=March 1, 2008}} He was at times criticized by many New York sports columnists for his off-the-cuff remarks that seemed to lack forethought.{{cite news|url=http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nypost.com%2Fseven%2F08152008%2Fsports%2Fyankees%2Ftime_to_ignore_yammerin_hank_124522.htm|title=TIME TO IGNORE YAMMERIN' HANK|date=August 15, 2008|first=Joel|last=Sherman|publisher=New York Post}} Despite his outspoken persona, Steinbrenner was not frequently seen around the team and instead did most of his work from the Yankees offices in Tampa, Florida. He did make a rare appearance in February 2015 to examine Yoan Moncada.{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2015/02/20/another-yoan-moncada-workout-draws-hank-steinbrenner/|title=Another Yoan Moncada workout draws Hank Steinbrenner|date=February 20, 2015|website=nypost.com}}
=Controversial statements=
Steinbrenner voiced his displeasure with the term Red Sox Nation in a 2008 interview:
{{blockquote|Red Sox Nation? What a bunch of bullshit that is...That was a creation of the [Boston] Red Sox and ESPN, which is filled with Red Sox fans... Go anywhere in America and you won't see Red Sox hats and jackets, you'll see Yankee hats and jackets. This is a Yankee country. We're going to put the Yankees back on top and restore the universe to order.}}
In response, Red Sox principal owner John W. Henry inducted him into Red Sox Nation, complete with a membership card giving him access to an array of options, including the group newsletter, bumper stickers, pins, Green Monster seats, and a hat personally autographed by David Ortiz.{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=3273421&type=story|title=Boston owner grants Yanks' Steinbrenner membership in Red Sox Nation|work=ESPN.com|date=March 2, 2008}}
Concerning the Yankees' spring training feud with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008, Steinbrenner stated, "I don't want these teams in general to forget who subsidizes a lot of them, and it's the Yankees, the Red Sox, Dodgers, Mets ... I would prefer if teams want to target the Yankees that they at least start giving some of that revenue sharing and luxury tax money back. From an owner's point of view, that's my point."
Regarding former Yankees manager Joe Torre, Steinbrenner said that his father did not get enough respect for hiring Torre in 1995, and that Joe Girardi has "... a little more fire in his belly" compared to Torre when it comes to managing. Steinbrenner went on to say that he would "support everything [Girardi] does" and "[Girardi] was the manager I wanted, and that's not anything towards Joe Torre. That's the manager we wanted at the time. Times change."{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=3294998&type=story|title=Hank Steinbrenner says teams should not 'forget who subsidizes a lot of them'|work=ESPN.com|date=March 15, 2008}}
In September 2008, after the Yankees were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 1993, Steinbrenner penned an article in Sporting News criticizing Major League Baseball's divisional format.{{cite web|last=Feinsand|first=Mark|title=Hank Steinbrenner rips divisional playoff system in Sporting News|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/09/23/2008-09-23_hank_steinbrenner_rips_divisional_playof.html|work=Daily News|date=September 23, 2008|access-date=May 2, 2009}}
Personal life
Steinbrenner and his wife divorced in 2004. They had four children.{{cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/yankees/2008-07-10-steinbrenner_N.htm|title=Younger Steinbrenner a chip off the old Boss since taking reins|work=USA Today|date=July 10, 2008|access-date=April 14, 2020}} His son, George Michael Steinbrenner IV, owns the IndyCar team Steinbrenner Racing, which fields a full-time entry in the IndyCar Series in partnership with Harding Racing under the banner of Harding Steinbrenner Racing.{{cite web|url=https://autoweek.com/article/indycar/its-happening-george-steinbrenner-iv-bringing-colton-herta-patricio-oward-indycar |title=It's happening: George Steinbrenner IV bringing Colton Herta, Patricio O'Ward to IndyCar Series |publisher=Autoweek.com |date=September 19, 2018 |access-date=April 14, 2020}}
Steinbrenner died on April 14, 2020, twelve days after his 63rd birthday, of complications related to a longstanding, unspecified liver issue.{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2020/04/14/hank-steinbrenner-yankees-co-owner-dead-at-63|title=Hank Steinbrenner, Yankees co-owner, dead at 63|date=April 14, 2020|last=Sherman|first=Joel|publisher=New York Post|work=nypost.com|access-date=April 14, 2020}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{New York Yankees}}
{{New York Yankees owners}}
{{New York City FC}}
{{AndrettiAutosport}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steinbrenner, Hank}}
Category:American people of German descent
Category:New York Yankees owners
Category:People from Marshall County, Indiana
Category:Central Methodist University alumni