Hank Steinbrenner

Hank Steinbrenner, the oldest son of George Steinbrenner and one of the four siblings who own the controlling shares of the New York Yankees, died Tuesday at age 63. The team said he died at home in Clearwater, Florida, due to a long-standing health issue. A chain smoker and miniature drag racer, Hank had hoped to succeed his father as the team's controlling owner. Between the 2007 and 2008 seasons, he became the public voice of the Yankees' ownership. But brother Hal, 11 years younger, was put in charge in November 2008. While Hank was in his 13th season as a general partner and 11th as co-chair, he did not appear to have much involvement in the team's operations in recent years. George Steinbrenner died in July 2010 and wife Joan died in December 2018. Henry G. Steinbrenner was born April 2, 1957, in Cleveland and attended Culver Military Academy, like his father. He then went to Central Methodist College in Missouri. He played soccer at Central Methodist and coached at Ocala Vanguard High. He was 15 when his father led a group that bought the Yankees from CBS in 1973. Hank traveled with the team for parts of the 1985 and 1986 seasons, learning under Lou Piniella, Woody Woodward and Clyde King, before getting out of baseball and concentrating on the Steinbrenner thoroughbred stable in Ocala, Florida. He was a vice president and director of Bay Farms Corp. since 1985 and a member of the board of the Ocala Breeders Sales Co. Steinbrenner also served as chairman of Minch Transit Co. and vice president of Mid-Florida Hotels Corp. He coordinated a partnership with Gwynn Racing in 2000 to field a Gwynn/Steinbrenner Yankees dragster on the National Hot Rod Association tour and with son George Michael Steinbrenner IV formed Steinbrenner Racing in 2016. he group competed on the Indy Lights developmental circuit in 2017-18, then partnered to form Harding Steinbrenner Racing, which started on the IndyCar circuit in 2019. Another merger led to Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport this year. He is survived by daughters Jacqueline and Julia, sons George Michael IV and John, granddaughter Anabel, and his three siblings.