The only thing more important than winning was breathing to New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.  For 37 seasons he was the most loved, hated and misunderstood owner in sports.  He had many ups and downs throughout his reign.  He put the Yankees back on the map as world champions in the late 1970s.  They went silent in the 1980s.  The first time the Yankees didn’t win a title in an entire decade.  The Yankees would not go quiet in the 1990s.  Four World Series titles put the Yankees back on top.  Winning this past year was probably the most fulfilling.  He let his baseball people do their job and it usually works when you have the backing of George Steinbrenner and his check book.

Twenty times in his first 23 seasons as owner he changed the manager of the New York Yankees.  Five times in that span he hired and fired Billy Martin.  It was well known the disdain they had for one another, but they won together and that was what counted for both of them. 

George was banned from operating the Yankees from 1990-1993 for paying a gambler 40,000 dollars to dig up dirt on his former player Dave Winfield, whom George signed in 1981 to a 10 year 25 million dollar free agent contract.  That was perhaps the low point for Mr. Steinbrenner who in his seclusion came to the realization that less of me might be better for the franchise. 

His return to the Yankees started with a change in philosophy.  Less focus on free agents and a bigger focus on home grown players.  It resulted in the franchises first title since 1978.  They would continue their championship run into the new millennium with their 26th and 27th titles. 

His best free agent signings were probably back in the 1970s.  In 1975 George signed pitcher Jim “Catfish” Hunter to a fiver year deal that paid him 600,000 thousand dollars a year.  Two years later in 1977 George signed Reggie Jackson to a five year deal that paid him 580,000 thousand dollars a year.  The Yankees won back-to-back title in 1977-78.  Their first title since 1962. 

Now spending doesn’t always work.  You can’t always buy yourself a championship.  You can make yourself into a contender, but not always a champion.  George had to learn that the hard way after their championship season in the year 2000.  After the Game 7 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001, Mount George erupted with millions of dollars to spend.  Jason Giambi was signed to a 7 year deal worth over 120 million dollars.  Alex Rodriguez was acquired from the Texas Rangers, who had signed him to a 10 year 252 million dollar contract. 

Those were just two examples.  Two other mistakes were acquiring pitcher Kevin Brown from the Dodgers in 2003 and Randy Johnson from the Diamondbacks in 2005.  Also resigning Alex Rodriguez to a 10 year contract that pays him over 30 million dollars a year is another mistake, but they did win the World Series with A-Rod so it’s not as bad.

One thing you can give all the credit in the world to George Steinbrenner for is that he changed the way owners can operate their teams.  Without George would we have Jerry Jones, Daniel Snyder, Arte Moreno, Jerry Buss and Mark Cuban?  Probably not.  He brought businessman into the mix as owners in the major sports teams. 

There are so many sports networks now that you could give some credit to George for fighting to start and control the YES Network.  That extra revenue has helped him continue spending and eventually get it right with the signing of C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira in route to the 2009 championship.

The free agency era was ushered in by George.  Getting television networks for your team was started by George.  Wanting to win above everything else (except breathing) was brought back by George.  Love him or hate him he was a one of a kind owner, visionary and person.  He never back downed.  He never kept quiet.  He never stopped trying.