Steinbrenner won by out spending everyone else, as bullies often do. It does not take much talent to carry a bigger wallet. He may have been a fine family man, but as a baseball owner he should not be missed by the Orioles or anyone in our city.

What a sad, sad state of affairs we are in when people are wishing the owner of a freakin baseball team to die, despite the fact that he is one of the biggest contributors to charities in the area. I certainly am not happy with his tenure as the O's owner, but let's keep things in perspective. SM, you are a disgrace.

I can see it now. The Steinbrenner haters will crawl out from the woodworks like roaches. Don't hate the man because he did what owners should do. He took the money he made from baseball and reinvested it in his team. That's how you become competitive and they're nothing wrong with that.

George was an icon and legend in the Business of Baseball. As an owner of a team, you could ask for no more. His dedication to his franchise and fans is extraordinary and legendary.

I doubt any Owner will ever have the stature and success George did. He re-invested in his team and organization over-and-over and over again.

He bought a team that was a shell of itself, and turned the lump-of-coal into a diamond.

Cynics will say that a payroll like that which the Yankees have is easy to make championship teams. The fact remains though, he Created the wealth to Allow such free agent moves. He deserves all the credit in the universe for building and Empire.

As a fan of a competing team I've disliked the tactics and methods he employed, but that's probably more sour-grapes than a real evaluation of a Man that accomplished what all other fans hope their ownerships would use for their teams.

He was fierce and unflinching competitor. While it's relieving to not have to face the man anymore, there is no solace that his greatness was ended not in competition but by the mortal coil being cut short.

He deserves to be remembered for what he was; driven, brilliant, successful. And those very characteristics often lead to character assassinations, but that too is proof of his immense success.

god bless.

Wow - maybe we could put baseball and the bitterness aside for just a few minutes and honor the passing a fellow human being. Perhaps wishing another man dead because you don't like how he directs your favorite team suggests a certain lack of perspective?

I can't find any sorrow in my heart for a man that had more to do with ruining the sport of my childhood than anyone. They might as well put the pennant up for bid on EBAY and publish the results in the Wall Street Journal. They certainly don't belong on the sports page.

I am a longstanding fan of the Orioles. I don't like the Yankees. Nothing get's under my skin more than hearing their "let's go Yankees" chant in Camden Yards muting our "let's go O's". I think Yankee fans can be the most obnoxious fans in baseball. I, however, respect their principal owner George Steinbrenner. As a baseball fan I recognize that, love him or hate him, he enhanced a regal aura amongst his players and baseball. It takes money to out spend every other team and Mr. Steinbrenner figured out how to generate the revenue to make that possible. He reinvested in his product and created a great business model that others still envy. Now, like him or not, we must all respect what he has done for the untold many and for baseball. He will be missed. I think we must all, even us Oriole fanatics, recognize and respect his legend.

This is somewhat unrelated, but is anyone else bothered by the World Series home field advantage being determined by the All-Star game?

I think that the team in the World Series with the higher regular season winning percentage should get the home field advantage. This will ensure that the end of the regular season will matter even for teams that have locked up their division or wild-card.

Ex.: Let's say the Rangers wins the AL West with a .530 regular season winning percentage. If they go on to get to the World Series against the Cardinals, and the Cardinals have a .550 winning percentage, then the Cardinals will get the home field advantage. If the Rangers had clinched their division with 10 games remaining, they may not continue to try to win, as they probably will have little chance of having a better winning percentage than the other AL division winners. However, if they know that home field advantage in the World Series is at stake, they will continue to try to win.

The other plus is that the home field advantage will not be determined until the teams playing in the World Series are determined (at least most of the time).

Also, the advantage will be determined by each team's performance and not the result of a league-wide semi-exhibition game.

Just a thought.

As much as I never agreed with Steinbrenner's way of building a team, or Peter's way of demolishing a team, I would never wish death to George or Peter. Just sell the team. My sympathy is with the Steinbrenner family.

George Steinbrenner may have been a bully, an ego maniac, etc., but you know what he was above all of those things? The Greatest Owner in Professional Sports History... and this is coming from someone who Hates the Yankees. Deep down we wish that all of our teams had an owner that wanted to win at all costs. We want an owner who makes our team a worldwide brand. We want an owner who cares about wins and losses as much as we do. That was George Steinbrenner. Love him or hate him, the man just wanted to win.
Mr. Angelos, I hope you realize that all the Oriole Fans want from you is to care about winning as much as we do. We want you to care less about the money and more about the team and it's fans. We all understand that sports are a business, but the fact of the matter is that the team holding the World Series Trophy at the end of the season is the winner, not the team with the largest proffits. The money will be there for you when the team is winning again. Right now is the time that you need to invest in the fans that have been paying your ticket prices for what has been a sub-standard product. You invest in them by investing in this team. This means over-spending to bring in a legitimate power bat. This means paying Cliff Lee whatever it takes to get him on the mound for The Orioles on opening day next season. I am not asking you to take a loss, I am asking you to spend a little more and make a little less. Put Baltimore back on the baseball map where it belongs; at or near the top. We have suffered enough. We need you to do what is needed to get us back to a point where being an Orioles fan is not a punchline, but a statement of pride. Follow the lead that Mr. Steinbrenner gave you and put back into this organization. Reinvest in your "company" and you will see the financial returns you want, and receive the admiration you desire from the fans at the same time.
Let's Go O's!

I wish I could have seen SM's comment about Angelos. By the time I got here, it was removed. I can't believe someone would actually wish for Angelos to die, but then again, knowing this crowd, I can.

I loved the Steinbrenner years. The back and forth battle between the Yankees, the Red Sox and the Orioles made my high school years that much more enjoyable. The old AL East was classic. And fun.

And for those who think the Yankees won just because they outspent everyone, I remind you that they won when they spent all that money on the right players.

Sure, back in the day they signed Reggie Jackson and Dave Winfield, but they also signed or traded for guys like Roy Smalley, Steve Kemp, Ed Whitson, and Steve Trout. It was getting guys like that that turned a World Championship team from 1980 into last place finishers by 1990. Even though the Yankees had the best overall record in the AL during the 80s, they didn't win a single division because someone else was doing it just a little better. The Orioles in the beginning of the decade, the Jays, Sox and Tigers toward the end. And let us not forget the Big Blue Wrecking Crew from 1982.

It wasn't until George was banned from baseball and came back a different man that the Yankees returned to glory. He learned to trust his baseball men, and the hiring of Joe Torre, after a personality conflict with Buck Showalter, was inspired and led the Yankees to their current prominence.

Whatever you say about George Steinbrenner, give the man credit for learning to change his ways. There has to be a lesson in there somewhere for a stubborn owner who we all know and love. And from all appearances, with the hiring of Andy MacPhail and the hopefully soon to be hired Showalter, maybe Mr. Angelos has learned from Mr. Steinbrenner.

God Bless, George Steinbrenner, you will be missed.

Yes Mr Steinbrenner will be missed, he had changed baseball with free agency, yes he did get thee best players & mgrs-coaches, I remember so many, from his colorful relationship with Billy Martin, to thee signing of Jim "Catfish" Hunter & Reggie Jackson former Oakland stars, to come to NY to start a new Yankee Dynasty, but we as Orioles fans always enjoyed beating those Yankees, nobody cares unless you beat thee best, which in turn made thee O's thee best! God Bless Ya George, still love to hate you & your Yankees, a true Oriole fan! Amen! Gary Padgett (formerly of Brooklyn Park, MD, now Garland, NC)

I wouldn't root for Big George to die, or anything like that, but, it must be said that the man ruined baseball, except for the Yankees and, possibly, the Red Sox. His "willingness" (substitute "ridiculously ddp pockets") to spend and spend and spend and spend to stockpile all the top talent is what is legendary about him. Oh, sure, the Yankees drafted well, basically, and they got REALLY lucky at times. The SI cover a month or so ago with "The Core" of Jeter, Petitte, Rivera, and Posada reveals as much good luck as it does skill. It would have been interesting to see how George would be remembered if he had bought, say, the Kansas City Athletics, or the Pittsburgh Pirates, or the Washington Senators, or the Montreal Expos, or any of the other teams with actual budgets, actual spending limits. It would also have been interesting to see how legendary George would have been if the rest of the wussy owners had every stood up to him and demanded a salary cap and balanced scheduling. You can't take away the 7 WS Championships (if only we could!), but I'm not overly impressed with the baseball acumen of a guy who just has the most money, even if he IS willing to spend it. RIP, GS. I hope you sons ruin the franchise in your memory.

Peter Angelos and George Steinbrenner share the same birthday. Peter is actually 1 year older than George. I wonder if Peter will begin to think about his legacy.

Ken's right. When The Boss was suspended (ahem, 'for life') in 1990 by then-commish Fay Vincent, Yankee fans were happy, due to the way the team had declined after the 1981 pennant. (The suspension was actually announced during a game at Yankee Stadium - I guess by the late Bob Sheppard - and the fans cheered.) His successes from the early years of free agency had become overshadowed.

Though it's hard to believe he was totally absent during his banishment, I was sitting next to a Yankee fan at Camden Yards in 1992 (after rumors had started that the ban would be lifted), and he told me the Yanks were building the best farm system in baseball and that he was very worried that George's return would ruin these efforts. But of course, his previous habits of trading prospects for vets didn't continue in the '90's. Instead of the banishment being an inglorious end (which is what many Steinbrenner critics were thinking/hoping it was at the time), it turned out to be sort of a 'halftime intermission' - one which proceeded a 2nd act that topped the 1st.

"As an active participant in the organizational direction and operations of the New York Yankees, his name is as synonymous with that franchise as any of the legendary athletes who have played in pinstripes"

Wish Peter realized that no one will be saying such things about him.

You can still take steps to improve your legacy Pete.

I wonder what Orioles fans would think of Angelo's death?

I can see one BIG difference between Steinbrenner and Angelos; George know how to buy and build a franchise into a huge winner and one America hates. Angelos, on the other hand, has taken a beloved franchise and run it into ground.

This is the legacy of Steinbrenner and will be the legacy of Angelos.

Yankees FANS find Steinbrenner's passing as sad for the organization because of his superior performance and guiding the organization to the top of baseball.

Orioles FANS would not find Pete's death as sad for the organization because of his inferior performance and guiding the organization to the bottom of baseball.

Nice guy or not nice guy? Who cares. I root for a baseball team and Pete killed ours. The Boss elevated his.

Boss = loved in NY

Pete = hated in Baltimore

Pretty simple really...

As a life long Orioles fan, I wish no ill will to Angelos. He & his familymay have ruined the Orioles, but he is the principal owner of the franchise & has chosen to do this. He has chased away the fans & let theYankee & Red Sox idiots take over ourstadium. It breaks my heart that my children have never known the Orioles to be what they once were, one of the premier franchises in MLB, thanks to Peter the Terrible. Just sell the team to someone who cares about winning Angelos. Say what you want about Steinbrenner, & I have hated the Yankees my whole life, much as I hate the Steelers, he wanted to win & wasn't afraid to spend to do it. Angelos is just a greedy old man choosing to enrich himself rather than his city w/ a winning baseball team. What a shame.

‎"Now batting for the Yankees, No. 80. George Steinbrenner. No. 80."

There is no doubt in my mind that Steinbrenner in his prime as owner of the Orioles would figure out how to make the O's a competitive team - both in revenues and on the field. Unfortunately we are stuck with Angelos.

Lou

Great story on the wires about how Steinbrenner and the ex-owner of the Orioles, Edward Bennett Williams, did a lot for baseball and its players in the 70's and 80's. Shame Angelos didn't do the same.

To all the ignorant posters bashing Steinbrenner,

I'm an O's fan, and I wish Steinbrenner owned the O's. Outside of NY he might be the emperor of the Evil empire, but he did all he could to make NY win. And yes even if it meant paying up large sums of change. His legacy in NY will be as great as anybody's. What would Peter Angelos' legacy would be if he were to pass away today. I can tell you, not a good one. At least not among O's fans. The majority of us don't respect him, most of us despise him. He is a disgrace. Steinbrenner was a great owner for a great city.

I read that when Thurman Munson died in '79, Steinbrenner asked then commish Bowie Kuhn for a postponement of their schedule so the team could attend. When Kuhn refused, George told him in that case the Yankees would forfeit the affected games. He then put the entire team on a chartered plane and left. Kuhn eventually caved and the postponement was allowed. Now, THAT'S an owner!!!

i have loved the orioles as long as i can remember. i hate the Yankees..i hate them!! i loved to hate THE BOSS, and maybe that's why i am so deeply saddened about his passing. i live in Tampa now so the news is especially tough for the community. he did a lot around these parts. if the O's only had an owner like him.

The biggest difference between George Steinbrenner and our owner is simple. George may have overspent and there should be a salary cap in baseball. It is hurting all the teams. However, Mr. Angelos loses sleep if he lost a quarter today in the parking lot. That is how he runs his firm and that is how he runs the team.

George may have overspent and there should be a salary cap in baseball. It is hurting all the teams

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I beg to differ. George did a great thing for baseball. People around the world might not know anything about baseball, but they know the New York Yankees. He didn't overspend by the way. How can you argue overspending when he built a franchise now worth 1.6 billion with the B, dollars. I think he was a great businessman as much as he was a great owner. Sports teams should not be owned by cheap skates like Peter Angelos, who whines about not having the money to compete with the Yankees, when he himself is a billionaire. You cannot make the argument that the Yankees buy championships when you have teams like the Marlins win it twice in 5 years, while gutting the entire team in the process.

George Steinbrenner was the Yankees biggest fan. He was a winner, a competitor. As an O's fan, I'm sick and tired of my beloved O's being owned by a villan who doesn't care about this team. A man who's not even a baseball fan. A man who doesn't show is face more than a couple of times all season long at the ball park. George used to address his players in the clubhouse all the time. The vast majority of players in the O's clubhouse have never met Peter Angelos in person.

Sports teams affect way to many fans to be run by ruthless businessmen like Angelos. Peter Angelos is in the same league with Bob Irsay in my book. Actually, I would be happy if he could take the team and leave town, so we can perhaps have a winning franchise in Baltimore in our lifetime.

You are right about Mr Angelos. However, baseball still needs a salary cap. The Marlins notwithstanding, it is still the same basic teams dominating baseball. Look how much more fairer it is in football. The championship goes farther around, even though a team like New England or Pittsburgh may win more than their share. Look at the chest pounding Le Bron James. It has gotten way out of hand, and the reason it has is because owners are paying way too much for players. The NFL has its act together. Two or three million is enough per year for most players who couldnt pass a high school equivalency exam.

Let's put this in perspective a bit among all the praises of "Steinbrenner, great baseball man". The Yankees had some lean years in the 80's to early 90's under his ownership while being in MLB's biggest market. The revival of the Yankees coincided with the revival of baseball itself in the mid-90's. Cal Ripken and the now comical McGwire/Sosa battles brought unprecedented popularity (thus money) to the sport. This helped the Yankees most being in the biggest market. Didn't everyone notice that the Red Sox had a similiar revival being in a market that encompasses 5 or 6 states? The winning had to do with Jeter/Rivera/Posada/Petitte/Williams. Great players coming up at the same time, the perfect storm. Forget the luxury tax. It's pennies compared to the revenue generated. It was actually a detriment to the salary cap endorsers that the Yankees did not win the WS for 8 years before last season. The Yankees need to win the WS every year. This will be the only way fans of other teams will lose interest in the sport. Only then will MLB take measures to balance the playing field. The Yankees can't be good by themselves. MLB is not conventional business. One team needs the other teams to be successful. So I hope the Yankees win the WS the next 5 years straight. Perhaps then something will change in the sport.

As George S. was noted to have said,"The next best thing to breathing is winning." He put his beliefs into practice with the Yankees. That practice should be the goal of all team owners. If they are complacent, or lack the funds to make their team competitive, they shouldn't buy just for their own profit at the expense of the fans. Good work George!