Hank Steinbrenner, an Heir to the Yankees, Is Dead at 63

In addition to his brother, Mr. Steinbrenner, who was divorced, is survived by his daughters, Jacqueline and Julia; his sons, George Michael IV and John; his sisters, Jennifer and Jessica; and a granddaughter, the Yankees said. His mother, Joan Steinbrenner, a former vice-chairwoman of the team, died in 2018 at 83.

Mr. Steinbrenner was much less visible in later years, but Randy Levine, the team president, said he had remained active behind the scenes, even in the team’s negotiations last December with pitcher Gerrit Cole, who signed a nine-year, $324 million contract. To Mr. Levine, Mr. Steinbrenner took it as part of his familial duty to challenge the team’s top baseball officials — from Gene Michael to Brian Cashman — and fight for his position.

“When the time came,” Mr. Levine said, “he had the George Steinbrenner fight in him, and he could hold his own.”

Like his father, Hank Steinbrenner relished no rivalry more than the one with the Red Sox. In The Times Magazine interview, he scoffed at the concept of Red Sox Nation, calling it an affront to the brand his family had elevated.

“Go anywhere in America and you won’t see Red Sox hats and jackets, you’ll see Yankee hats and jackets,” he said. “This is a Yankee country.”

James Wagner, David Waldstein and Daniel E. Slotnik contributed reporting.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/sports/baseball/Hank-Steinbrenner-dead.html