Joan Steinbrenner

{{Short description|American philanthropist and baseball executive (1935–2018)}}

Elizabeth Joan Steinbrenner (née Zieg; August 25, 1935 – December 14, 2018) was an American philanthropist{{cite news |title=Joan Steinbrenner, wife of former Yankees owner George, dies |date=14 December 2018 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-baseball-mlb-nyy-steinbrenner-obit/joan-steinbrenner-wife-of-former-yankees-owner-george-dies-idUSKBN1OD2KQ |work=Reuters |access-date=17 December 2018}} and vice-chair of the New York Yankees baseball team.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/obituaries/joan-steinbrenner-dead.html|title=Joan Steinbrenner, 83, Yankees Vice-Chairwoman and Owner's Widow, Dies|last=Media|first=Field Level|date=2018-12-14|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-12-16|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}{{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 George, dies at 83|last=Desk|first=Post Sports|date=2018-12-14|website=New York Post|language=en|access-date=2018-12-16}}

Early life and education

Elizabeth Joan Zieg{{cite news |title=Joan Steinbrenner, wife late George Steinbrenner, dies at 83 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/joan-steinbrenner-wife-late-george-steinbrenner-dies-at-83/2018/12/14/daca2896-ffcf-11e8-a17e-162b712e8fc2_story.html?noredirect=on |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=17 December 2018}}{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} was born in Mount Vernon, Ohio to a "wealthy family involved in real estate development"{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26367429/tampa_bay_times/|title=Even George Steinbrenner now ponders the inevitable|last1=Macur|first1=Juliet|date=May 3, 2004|work=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=17 December 2018|via=Newspapers.com}} and attended Upper Arlington High School in Columbus, where she played basketball, football, and hockey.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26367469/the_tampa_tribune/|title=The Morning After|last1=McEwen|first1=Tom|date=October 3, 1975|work=Tampa Tribune|access-date=17 December 2018|via=Newspapers.com}}

She studied dental hygiene at Ohio State University.

Career

In 1973, her husband, George Steinbrenner, led a group of investors who bought the New York Yankees baseball team, and she became involved with running the business. She continued to work for the team after her husband's death in 2010.

In 1977 Steinbrenner bought the Bay Harbor Inn in Tampa, Florida.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26367499/the_tampa_tribune/|title=Bay Harbor Inn...Joan Steinbrenner Okays Purchase|last1=Bertke|first1=Roy|date=March 26, 1977|work=Tampa Tribune|access-date=17 December 2018|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26367520/the_tampa_times/|title=Rocky Point owners join to guard interests|last1=Costello|first1=Harry|date=October 5, 1977|work=Tampa Times|access-date=17 December 2018|via=Newspapers.com}} In the 1980s, she was vice-chair of the Tampa Bay Downs board of directors,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26367536/the_tampa_tribune/|title=Board approves firing of Downs GM|last1=Klein|first1=Frank|date=February 14, 1986|work=Tampa Tribune|access-date=17 December 2018|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26367556/dayton_daily_news/|title=Not all Steinbrenner winners are winners|last1=Burick|first1=Si|date=March 1, 1982|work=Dayton Daily News|access-date=17 December 2018|via=Newspapers.com}} eventually buying and racing horses with her husband under the Kinsman Stables name, and greyhounds under the kennel name Jo-Bett Kennels, with a friend, Betty Hater.{{cite news |title=One Dog Kennel |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/335337562 |access-date=17 December 2018 |work=Tampa Tribune |date=May 7, 1981}}{{cite news |title=Army Brat vies in rich derby |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/335900051/?terms=joan%2Bsteinbrenner |access-date=17 December 2018 |work=Tampa Tribune |date=February 5, 1983}}

Steinbrenner worked with a large number of philanthropic organizations throughout her life, including the Cleveland Orchestra, the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center, Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26367575/the_tampa_tribune/|title=Whack cracks more than just bottle of bubbly|last1=Otto|first1=Steve|date=November 15, 1985|work=Tampa Tribune|access-date=17 December 2018|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26367597/the_tampa_tribune/|title=Trump visit gives clubs a big boost|last1=McEwen|first1=Tom|date=August 19, 1988|work=Tampa Tribune|access-date=17 December 2018|via=Newspapers.com}} Tampa Bay Junior Volleyball Club,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26367617/the_tampa_tribune/|title=Donation send team to Toledo|last1=Sommerer|first1=Susana|date=June 29, 1989|work=Tampa Tribune|access-date=17 December 2018|via=Newspapers.com}} Children's Home Network of Tampa,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26367632/tampa_bay_times/|title=Joshua House Circle of Friends Dinner|date=May 4, 2012|work=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=17 December 2018|via=Newspapers.com}} the Red Cross of Tampa,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26367675/the_tampa_tribune/|title=Boogie Woogie Ball is some enchanted evening|last1=Scherzer|first1=Amy|date=February 20, 1993|work=Tampa Tribune|access-date=17 December 2018|via=Newspapers.com}} the American Cancer Society of Tampa,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26367695/the_tampa_tribune/|title=Neighbors|last1=Johnson|first1=Maria|date=November 23, 1994|work=Tampa Tribune|access-date=17 December 2018|via=Newspapers.com}} and the Florida Special Olympics.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26367723/the_tampa_tribune/|title=Special Olympics|last1=Selman|first1=Jim|date=June 3, 1979|work=Tampa Tribune|access-date=17 December 2018|via=Newspapers.com}} In Florida, she was state chairwoman for the Special Olympics held there in 1981 and 1982 and sat on the boards of the National Society to Prevent Blindness, the St. Joseph's Hospitals Foundation in Tampa, the Children's Home Network in Tampa and the Florida Orchestra, for which she, along with her husband and the New York Yankees, underwrote productions.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26367744/the_tampa_tribune/|title=The Morning After|last1=McEwen|first1=Tom|date=December 21, 1990|work=Tampa Tribune|access-date=17 December 2018|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26367766/tampa_bay_times/|title=Kids get a taste of Florida Orchestra at Steinbrenners' annual concert|last1=Parker|first1=Elisabeth|date=Nov 30, 2011|work=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=17 December 2018|via=Newspapers.com}}

In the late 1990s, Steinbrenner and her husband contributed to the renovation of the band room at Ohio Stadium; the room was re-named the Joan Zieg Steinbrenner Band Center in 2001.{{Cite web|url=https://www.10tv.com/article/steinbrenners-ties-ohio-ran-deep|title=Steinbrenner's Ties To Ohio Ran Deep|date=2010-07-13|website=WBNS-10TV Columbus, Ohio {{!}} Columbus News, Weather & Sports|language=en|access-date=2018-12-17|archive-date=2018-12-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181217154624/https://www.10tv.com/article/steinbrenners-ties-ohio-ran-deep|url-status=dead}}{{cite news |title=Newsmakers |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/334443107/?terms=joan%2Bsteinbrenner |access-date=17 December 2018 |work=Shreveport Times |date=November 2, 2000}}

During the investigation into her husband's dealings with gambler Howard Spira it was revealed that Spira had once taped a conversation with her in which he asked her to pressure her husband into giving him a job or paying him off. Steinbrenner chastised him and told him, "Howard, I think you need to see a doctor. I really do."{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26367817/daily_news/|title=Hospitalized|date=July 18, 1990|work=New York Daily News|access-date=17 December 2018|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26367848/daily_news/|title=Mrs. Boss: Hang Up, Howard|last1=Pienciak|first1=Richard|date=March 20, 1990|work=New York Daily News|access-date=17 December 2018|via=Newspapers.com}}

Steinbrenner was a founding member of Town and Gown, a group that connected the University of South Florida with the Tampa community and was also a founding member of the Henry B. Plant Museum Society.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/tampa/philanthropist-joan-steinbrenner-yankees-vice-chairwoman-and-widow-of-george-dead-at-83-20181214/|title=Yankees matriarch, philanthropist Joan Steinbrenner dies at 83|date=2018-12-14|website=Tampa Bay Times|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-16}} In 2017, St. Joseph's Hospitals Foundation honoured her as a "Community Hero" for her work with the hospitals.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sjhfoundation.org/blog/event/2017-heroes-ball/|title=2017 Heroes Ball (2017-06-17)|website=www.sjhfoundation.org|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-17|archive-date=2018-12-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181217154643/https://www.sjhfoundation.org/blog/event/2017-heroes-ball/|url-status=dead}}

Personal life

On May 12, 1956{{cite web |title=Joan Steinbrenner, wife of former New York Yankees owner, dies at 83 |url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/mlb/yankees/2018/12/14/joan-steinbrenner-wife-former-new-york-yankees-owner-dies-83/2312624002/ |publisher=North Jersey Record |access-date=17 December 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26367882/the_pittsburgh_press/|title=Pipers' owner sued by wife|newspaper=The Pittsburgh Press |date=July 8, 1962|page=61 |access-date=17 December 2018|via=Newspapers.com}} she married George Steinbrenner, a businessman, and together they had four children. George died in 2010 at the age of 80, while Joan died on December 14, 2018, at her home in Tampa, Florida.