Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner Dies

Baseball titan George Steinbrenner dies at the age of 80. Steinbrenner, the man who owned New York Yankees All-Stars, passed away after being rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital from his Tampa residence following a heart attack. He is widely credited with rebuilding New York Yankees baseball, with his trademark ways of - paving the path for multi-million dollar salaries, being extremely demanding on his team, and expecting perfection from others just like he thought himself to be. But he also had a good gentle side to his character. He was dreaded for his violent behavioral nature, and hiring, firing, rehiring, and refiring. New York Yankees All-Star players and manager, all wore black armbands on Tuesday in memory of the legend.

The family released a statement which read, "It is with profound sadness that the family of George M. Steinbrenner III announces his passing. He was an incredible and charitable man. First and foremost he was devoted to his entire family his beloved wife, Joan; his sisters, Susan Norpell and Judy Kamm, his children, Hank, Jennifer, Jessica and Hal; and all of his grandchildren. He was a visionary and a giant in the world of sports. He took a great but struggling franchise and turned it into a champion." Bud Selig, baseball commissioner said, "He was and always will be as much of a New York Yankee as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford and all the other Yankee legends."

Steinbrenner bought the club on January 3, 1973. In these 37 years, he transformed the franchise from a $10 million entity to a whopping $1.6 billion giant. According to Forbes, this is only behind Manchester United at $1.8 billion, and the Dallas Cowboys at $1.65 billion. The team even had its own TV network and ballpark food business. Under George Steinbrenner's reign, the Yankees won 11 American League pennants, 16 American League East titles, and 7 World Series championships.

Due to his ill health off late, his sons Hal and Hank run most of his business, with Hal officially controlling the Yankees since November '08. He is survived by his wife, 2 sons, 2 daughters and 13 grandchildren. The funeral is expected to be held later this week.

R.I.P. Mr. George Steinbrenner.