Baseball lost many this year, some big names and some not-so-big. Here is a farewell to some of the stars of the American Pastime who left us this year.
Starting with the biggest name of all…
George Steinbrenner: 07/04/1930 to 07/13/2010
Also known as “The Boss.”
Best known for being himself (meddlesome, controversial, temperamental and rich) and for owning the New York Yankees, Steinbrenner was a larger-than-life fixture in baseball for the 37 years he owned the team. There’s little to tell about him that most baseball fans don’t already know.
Many felt that Steinbrenner was one of the driving forces of the rampant escalation of baseball players’ salaries.
During The Boss’ tenure as the Yankees’ owner, the team won 11 pennants and seven World Series championships. He will appear on the 2011 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.