George Steinbrenner, arguably the most famous team owner in the history of Major League Baseball, has died. The man who owned the New York Yankees for 35 years passed away after suffering a massive heart attack in Tampa Florida this morning. He had been in declining health in recent years, after suffering a series of strokes.
According to the New York Daily News, Steinbrenner's initial investment in the team of just $168,000 sowed the seeds of what became a billion dollar enterprise.
Since Steinbrenner and a group of partners bought the team in 1973, the New York Yankees have won 11 American League pennants and seven world championships.
Sports columnists and fans alike blasted Steinbrenner of famously micromanaging the team during pennant dry spells in the 80's, thanks to his multiple firings of former Yankees coach, the late Billy Martin, and various other high-profile management shakeups.
Steinbrenner's status as a pop culture icon was further cemented by a series of "appearances" in Seinfeld -- in which a stand-in was always used, voiced by series co-creator Larry David:
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An attempt to get the real Steinbrenner to appear in an episode never materialized.
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