Steinbrenner, George

Steinbrenner, George (Michael III) (1930–  ) businessman, baseball executive; born in Rocky River, Ohio. Chairman of the Cleveland-based American Shipbuilding Co., he became the principal owner of the New York Yankees (1973) and served as club president (1979–90). His pursuit of free agent players resulted in a World Series championship (1979) but he was constantly involved in controversies with his players and managers, usually ending in their abrupt departure. He was suspended from baseball (1990–92) for conduct detrimental to the game, but returned to manage the franchise (1993), promising to keep a somewhat lower profile.