European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 3, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Sports fiery Steinbrenner reaches for the stars by Michael Goodwin new York limps Lii is rap of paper in the hotel hallway Wei Liny but Neil Small enough to escape he owner s attention George Steinbrinner stooped to pick in up walked ,1 few feet and saw another . I . He mumbled in exasperation Al these cleaning errors As he lion in retrieve the second piece. He Hob Lurhl for a second Columbus for you --1hen saw a thine scooped it up deposited Alt three in a waste fan and continued uninterrupted by dirt to lunch. The Selling was the Bay Harbor inn in i. 11., ,1 Long Way from the Bronx Euhe Trail of i iter had a visitor fearing for Ihu hold s housekeeping staff. Bui Noah inti More was said i he owner s mood was , i thundering statements were is Sucre no Pink slips ordered. The divining if was Safe for another Day. 1 Liu Subj i i in Placid Tampa was not i hi1 hold however or oven i he Yankees though in is not to Ink baseball to an owner. 1 hi1 subject was George Slein Bronner s place in the world spi , in new York. Having first tried out his m1 on the Road mostly Cut i and Tampa his one Man show is new ural no its 15lh year in new York. The reviews Are decidedly mixed. His fee enl outburst at Lou Piniella on National Tele vision has renewed the familiar re minds to banish the owner whose Public diatribes upstage the games and some say hurl the team. Gel Oul of Irwin his mics say and let the players play in peace. Sli inh Renner s supporters and they Ore numerous Loo defend him even when they tin t agree with him saying he is ind it serous beyond belief and a much much Man than the Public sees fur his part Steinbrenner remains inns nerd he Reaks for the Little consider such Kings. Resoundingly with i he Force of a Tiger the Ransom of a King my the chutzpah of a native new yorker he has inserted himself onto the City s Skyline. I love new York Heairl. I love Beryl Hin Gil stands for. It s Atily of haulers i Don l care if you re Harry Holmsley Donald Trump mayor Koch or Joe Jones working on a can slut i inn site you be got to Battle for everything from the time you get up till you go to lied. I think new York epitomizes whal made i his country so i Hen what s All his talk about moving the Yankees to new Jersey if negotiations with the City and stale Don t Lead to improved parking and train facilities at the stadium his Blue eyes twinkle he smiles slightly but he won t make any direct Public comments privately though Kinbrenner has said that the Yankees would never leave new York. Of course he also said Yogi Berra was going to manage for the entire 1985 season. He Hai to be part of the new York scene Sard Howard Cosell the commentator who has argued again a Yankee move to Jersey. He s flamboyant he s Brilliant. At the same Lime he s a Devil to work mayor Edward Koch has similar sentiments. George Steinbrenner is a tremendous asset to the City of new York he said. There s no quest Ion he plays hardball. But after All that s his is in possible thai Slein Brenner wants to win too much i Don t think Here is any such thing As wanting to win Loo much Trump said. Winning is what it s All about. We re All playing he game of life and winning is what it s All but winning does Nul always satisfy he s flamboyant he s Brilliant. At the same time Tiv s a Devil to work for Howard Cosell people the Blue Coll Micket buying Public i hit appreciates i demands on his highly paid pamper i employees. But even he concedes Thyl sometimes i m not Happy with the Way i do things All he can do then he said ornate amends. Often the amends Lake the form of no Nuy. Such As in All expenses paid vacation or ,1 generous contract. Still he rankles Over his image with the Blind spurt cartoonists and columnists. If ill i did was read the newspapers i would t even want to go Home Wilh Rny Seli he Saih without smiling. Bui measuring popularity fora non politic is pm ably pointless. Docs Stein Brennor have stature thai extra Siginu a lung called Tarqu Alilya Din she turns lie his Gritl gels attention both Imi Uig the my ers Anil shakers As they mar and shjkt1? i i Iossif is yrs. Say those who Steinbrenner especially in a Sporl where the Best routinely lose three or four of every 10. Perfection is whal lit wants. He seems obsessed with it. "1c sail coming from his father said Bill Fugazy the limousine magnate and probably Steinbrenner s closest Friend in new York. His father us Tough and so disciplining that George thinks everyone needs Aikoo about his father Henry who died three years ago so Kinbrenner said he a is a Tough Las Masler. You know if i ran four races in Irack won thrit1 and lost one he d say now go sit town and study that one act and see Why you lost it " Many of his Batik s Wilh other people t reflect the expectations created by his upbringing a hit h in Ludd .1 military prop school before he Well in to Williams College. Fly us Verity ars uld Sti Ibri Rii was an re owner George Steinbrunner drives him still and everyone else hard. Mostly cheerful during a two hour lunch talking easily Eliout his father who built the american ship building co into the family Fortune which also includes a race track and Breeding farm he noted proudly his father received a degree in naval architecture from Mit and was the National collegiate Champion in Low hurdles in 1927. He also said his father graduated first in his class but Mit said graduates were nol ranked because so Many received straight a s. He did not say that the main athletic Field at Mit is Steinbrenner Oval named after the family that donated the Money to build it. Besides leaving the family mass quantities of Pride and Money both of which George has increased Henry Steinbrenner left his Only son an ironclad set of rules and regulations to live by. My dad used to say Fust consider every Knock a boost " he said at one Point. Another time if you do something Good for somebody and More than two people know about in you did t do it for the right perhaps it is a deep craving for understanding and appreciation that led him to violate thai Rule he mentioned some of his Many philanthropic efforts. These include contributions to the police athletic league i he Catholic youth organization roman Catholic broadcast ing organizations and the establishment of the Silver Shim foundation which pays College tuition for All children whose fathers died in the line of duty As police officers and firefighters in Oil her new York state or Tampa. Thirty two families Are now enrolled in the Organ Patlon which exists on contributions of 11,000 a year from .100 supporters and i he profits from one Yankee Home Fianis eath year. Steinbrenner said to had put another h4 students through i Olk be out of a fund he established about 20 years ago. ret Ipi enl must i pay the Money so others Nuy also Benefit. Is of them Are now doctors the r at the fund sail i proudly. List there s one area where Kinbrenner keeps a relatively Low profile politics. He said one of the reasons is his 1974 guilty plea for illegal Campaign contributions to Richard Nixon in he 1972 presidential race. After first pleading innocent to 14 counts Steinbrenner negotiated a Deal and pleaded guilty to two charges Misdemeanour of conspiring to violate the Campaign funding Law and of trying to influence and intimidate employees into lying to a grand jury. He was fined $15,000 but spared jail. Everybody has dents in his Armor he said quietly after raising the subject. Thai s something i have to live the list of his efforts on behalf of others especially children and teen agers is Long. Eddie Robinson the Grambling state University football coach who knows something about winning remember she first time he met Steinbrenner. In happened when the Whitney m. Young classic an annual football game Between predominately Black schools that started in Yankee stadium in 1968, had no place to i by because the stadium was being renovated for two years in the 1970s. More important declining attendance and rising costs threatened the game s existence. Robinson in new York called Covelt to ask whether he thought Steinbrenner might help. Cosell encouraged him to try. I called George and wanted to set up an appointment for later Robinson recalled. He said come right Over Well we did and soon after we met him i knew thai whether he underwrote the game or nol i was going to like this Man attendance has continued to decrease and costs have increased but the Yankee foundation has covered the game s losses each year. Grambling plays Central slate of Ohio at the stadium sell. 12. Steinbrenner is now on i he Board of und raise for tin1 school which has awarded him an Honor iry do , this Guy is terrific Robinson said. 20 to Tipei mtg int ttplrmbfr3, j9s7
