Steinbrenner, A Part Of Baseball History
Today the Sports world lost a pioneer in George Steinbrenner who whether you loved or hated him, you knew that he was a man with a deep passion for winning, and in sports what is more important. 
As George said himself only breathing was more important than winning, and nobody could take away his thirst for victory. George may have been the most recognizable owner in sports, but in my opinion he certainly was the most important as his willingness to give players big contacts, even at times above asking price changed the way teams approached free agency. Even in an entirely different sport, as was the case with the NBA this weekend, with the recent signings of the 'the big 3', you began to hear comparisons to the evil empire of the New York Yankees , who's Free Agent acquisitions have become legendary. Many moons ago Major Leaguer Dave Winfield after 7 seasons with the San Diego Padres chose to take his talents to New York where he signed a contract making him the highest paid player in the league. George, in true Steinbrenner fashion, has gone on to make several ball players "the highest paid player in the league". Dave Winfield, a now Hall Of Famer, will always be connected to George in another way as well. George Steinbrenner may be known most for 2 things, signing over big checks, and being very difficult to work for. Dave, after living through trait A also experienced trait B, as George called his performance out in the paper calling him Mr. May. 'The outspoken team owner", a term that can solely be credited to George Steinbrenner. Whether you were a fan of his demanding and intimidating way of doing business, or feel his purchasing of titles damaged the game, you could not deny his importance and spot in sports history.
