George Steinbrenner had Ohio roots

CINCINNATI - For many years I didn't like George Steinbrenner. He was too brash, too much of a bully, and he had too much money. 

And above that he owned the New York Yankees,  and I just can't tell you how much I hated the Yankees. Still do.

I had grown up when the Yanks were great.  When CBS took over in the 60s, the Yankees stunk.  They were irrelevant.  Steinbrenner bought them in the early 1970's and restored their lustre.

The Yankees revival was short-circuited by the Reds in 1976. The pinstripers had been rebuilt with a number of trades.  But his Billy Martin-led team got swept by the Big Red Machine. The Yankees recovered in a hurry.  They won it all in 1997 and 1978.

Steinbrenner had Ohio connections from his birth. He was born in Rocky River in the Cleveland suburbs. His dad owned a shipbuilding company that gave him wealth. 

He went into the Air Force and was stationed near Columbus.  After he was discharged, he went to graduate school at Ohio State, and later was a graduate assistant to Woody Hayes.  He met and married his wife in Columbus.

His first venture into sports was in Ohio.  He bought the Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball Association in the 1960's.   It's notable that during a game against the Hawaii Chiefs,  Steinbrenner sold one of his players to the Chiefs at halftime.

Steinbrenner wanted his team to be absorbed into the NBA and he signed Middletown and Ohio State's Jerry Lucas to a rich contract.  But the Pipers folded after one season.

Steinbrenner tried to buy the Cleveland Indians in the early 60's. It didn't happen, so he turned his attention to the Yankees a year later.  The Yankees were owned by CBS and they were atrocious.  He got them for less than $9 million.

He lured the Reds' Ken Griffey to the Yankees. He fired Murray Cook who would later become general manager of the Reds.  He brought on Paul O'Neill who thrived in the Bronx.

Steinbrenner was raspberry chocolate chip in a vanilla business.  He ranted and raved. He fired managers at an unbelievable rate. He made calls to the dugout to suggest  moves.  He knew Reggie Jackson was "Mr. October" because he delivered in the World Series, so he called Dave Winfield "Mr. May" for his inability to deliver in the clutch.

He befriended Marge Schott when she became the owner of the Reds.  Bill Bergesch and Murray Cook were Steinbrenner cast-offs hired by Mrs. Schott.  When she went looking for a manager after the banishment of Pete Rose, he suggested she hire Lou Piniella.  She did and the Reds won the 1990 World Series under Lou. Steinbrenner had twice fired Piniella.

He made at least one visit to see one of his horses compete in a stakes race at Turfway Park.  Bellamy Road, perhaps his best horse won the Cradle Stakes at River Downs in 2004.  He owned Kinsman Stable in Ocala Florida. His three-year old "Concerto" won the Jim Beam Stakes at Turfway Park in 1997.

When the Reds used to train in Tampa, I liked to stay at the Bay Harbor Inn.  It was owned by Steinbrenner and I would see him occasionally in the lobby or the "Yankee Clipper" restaurant.  He would always say hello, but he always looked like a guy with a lot on his mind.

Over the years, I came to appreciate Steinbrenner because he did whatever was needed to win. His success pushed the other teams in the American League to get better.  They didn't want to get swallowed up by "The Evil Empire." The American League became the superior league and I think a lot of that was the influence of Steinbrenner.

I think he was great for baseball.  But I still hate the Yankees.