Baseball Fans Heartbroken After Yankees Co-Owner Hank Steinbrenner Dies at 63

The baseball world has lost a powerful figure, as New York Yankees co-owner and co-chairman, Hank Steinbrenner died after a long battle with an illness. He was 63 years old, and he was surrounded by his family when he died. Hank is the oldest son of George Steinbrenner, who was the team owner from 1973 to his death in 2010. Hank and his brother, Hal, have been co-owners of the franchise ever since.

When it comes to being the face of the franchise, Hal has taken that role in the last few years. However, Hank can be very outspoken, and a good example of that was when he heard the phrase “Red Sox Nation.” Hank said in 2008: “Red Sox Nation? What a bunch of bulls— that is…That was a creation of the Red Sox and ESPN, which is filled with Red Sox fans…Go anywhere in America and you won’t see Red Sox hats and jackets, you’ll see Yankee hats and jackets. This is a Yankee country. We’re going to put the Yankees back on top and restore the universe to order.” Because of the impact the Steinbrenner family made on the Yankees and the baseball community, many fans paid tribute to Hank Steinbrenner.

Battle with an Illness

John Heyman of the MLB Network said Steinbrenner was dealing with a liver issue. With the coronavirus pandemic going in the country, there were some who thought Steinbrenner died from the virus. But it looks like that wasn’t the case, as multiple reports indicated the death wasn’t related to COVID-19. 

Sending Love

This Yankees fan Twitter account sent a message to the Steinbrenner family after learning about Hank’s death. The Steinbrenner family is the reason the Yankees won 11 World Series championships since they took over ownership in 1973. Their last championship was in 2009. 

Hard Time

This baseball fan has a lot of respect for the Steinbrenner family for what they’ve done with the Yankees. Even when the team doesn’t win the World Series, they seem to be in the hunt for the title each year. Before the coronavirus pandemic, the Yankees were projected to reach the World Series this season.

Jeff Nelson

Former Yankees pitcher Jeff Nelson was sad to hear about Steinbrenner’s death. Nelson was a member of the Yankees from 1996-2000, and the team won four World Series titles during that span. That led to him saying the Steinbrenners are the “best owners in baseball.”

David Wells

Former Yankees pitcher David Wells also sent a message to the Steinbrenner family. Wells had two stints with the Yankees, and he was on the team that won the World Series in 1998. He was also named to the All-Star team that year, and he was was the ALCS MVP.

Meeting Hank

This baseball fan got a chance to meet Steinbrenner at a charity function, and he praised how personable he was. The late Yankees owner may have been outspoken, but he always made time for Yankees and baseball fans. 

Sad Times in New York

The coronavirus pandemic has hit the country hard, but New York has been hit the hardest, as they have the most cases and the most deaths. Along with that and Steinbrenner dying, 2020 has not been kind to New York.