Hank Steinbrenner
| Hank Steinbrenner | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Henry George Steinbrenner III April 2, 1957 Culver, Indiana |
| Occupation | Co-Owner of New York Yankees/ Managing general partner |
Henry George "Hank" Steinbrenner III (born April 2, 1957[1]) is part-owner and co-chairman of the New York Yankees. He is the older brother of principal owner and managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner.
Career
Along with Hal, Hank inherited the team upon the death of their father, George Steinbrenner, in 2010. However, from 2007 onward, George ceded most day-to-day control of the team to Hal and Hank due to failing health. Even before their father's death, Hal and Hank made most of the decisions about the team in tandem with Yankees President Randy Levine and General Manager Brian Cashman.
Family
Steinbrenner is the older son of George and Elizabeth Joan (née Zieg) Steinbrenner. He has two sisters, Jessica Steinbrenner and Jennifer Steinbrenner-Swindal. Hank Steinbrenner is named for his grandfather, Henry George Steinbrenner II, who made the family fortune in the shipping business. His father, George Michael Steinbrenner III, was named for his own grandfather.
Public persona
During his stewardship of the Yankees, Hank Steinbrenner, like his father, has gained a reputation for being outspoken.[2] He has been criticized by many New York sports columnists for his off-the-cuff remarks that seem to lack forethought. Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote, "Hank Steinbrenner is the owner of the Yankees by DNA accident. He blabs a lot, but does nothing that actually demonstrates leadership."[3]
Steinbrenner voiced his displeasure with the term "Red Sox Nation" in a 2008 interview:
| “ | Red Sox Nation? What a bunch of bullshit that is...That was a creation of the 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.[2] | ” |
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.[4]
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."[5]
Regarding former Yankees manager Joe Torre, Steinbrenner has said his father did not get enough respect for hiring Torre in 1995,[2] and that Joe Girardi has "...a little more fire in his belly" compared to Torre when it comes to managing.[2] Steinbrenner has gone on to say that he will "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."[5]
In 2008, Steinbrenner lashed out when Yankees pitcher Chien-Ming Wang was injured while running the bases in an interleague game against the Houston Astros, suggesting that the National League needed to "join the modern age" by implementing the designated hitter.[6]
In September 2008, after the Yankees were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 1993, Steinbrenner penned an article in The Sporting News criticizing Major League Baseball's divisional format.[7]
Despite his outspoken persona, Hank Steinbrenner is not frequently seen around the team, and instead does most of his work from the Yankees offices in Tampa, Florida. He did make a rare appearance in February 2015 to examine Yoan Moncada.[8]
Personal
Steinbrenner and his wife divorced in 2004. They have four children.[9]
References
- ↑ Hank Steinbrenner - NTRA
- 1 2 3 4 "Hank Steinbrenner, in another outspoken moment, denounces Red Sox Nation". ESPN.com. March 1, 2008.
- ↑ Sherman, Joel (August 15, 2008). "TIME TO IGNORE YAMMERIN' HANK". New York Post.
- ↑ "Boston owner grants Yanks' Steinbrenner membership in Red Sox Nation". ESPN.com. March 2, 2008.
- 1 2 "Hank Steinbrenner says teams should not 'forget who subsidizes a lot of them'". ESPN.com. March 15, 2008.
- ↑ McCarron, Anthony (June 16, 2008). "Irate Hank Steinbrenner blames Chien-Ming Wang's injury on NL rules". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
- ↑ Feinsand, Mark (2008-09-23). "Hank Steinbrenner rips divisional playoff system in Sporting News". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2009-05-02.
- ↑ http://nypost.com/2015/02/20/another-yoan-moncada-workout-draws-hank-steinbrenner/
- ↑ http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/yankees/2008-07-10-steinbrenner_N.htm
