THE MOST FAMOUS YANKEE NEVER TO PLAY A GAME: GEORGE STEINBRENNER

There are many among us who are not exactly huge baseball fans. But even non-baseball fans know George Steinbrenner was a famous New York Yankee legend-sometimes for all the wrong reasons.

The fact that he owned the Yankees is an amazing story.

He bought the team from CBS in 1973 for less than 10 million dollars. It is now valued at well over a billion and continues to be ranked among the most expensive sports franchises in the world. George tied his team to some very savvy cable television deals that make the team very profitable.

George likely took a few cues from legendary Oakland A's owner Charley Finley when George cut his teeth as a rookie owner of the Yankees. Clearly he was a self-promoter in the best Barnum and Bailey tradition as he fought turf wars with his managers and general managers.

The most notable battle was his relationship with legendary manager Billy Martin. The dust-up between the two men was one for the ages as two super- alpha males squared off in the mother of all media battles.

The two men were perfectly suited for each other because both combatants sought to gain a death grip on the other guy's throat. It was a good thing that both men loved the limelight. Throw Reggie Jackson into the mix and the circus came to the Big Apple (and stayed) in the 70s..

The public had a love-hate relationship with George, and that is exactly what he wanted from the public. He was a marketing genius with a rigid set of rules for his players, up to and including a very well-groomed look as a Yankee. He liked confrontation and controversy as an owner, because it brought attention to his giant asset; the New York Yankees.

The downside to the Steinbrenner era is the lack of control on team salaries. The Yankees are principally a team of expensive all stars, and the team can buy and sell almost every other team in major league baseball. Without a salary cap, baseball will continue to have a two tier feeder system in which other teams are essentially farm teams for the Yankees.

You really can't blame George for protecting his asset. After all, the man believed that "winning only took a back seat to breathing". But millions of baseball fans will eventually get very tired of watching their stars playing in pinstripes because of George's blank check policy for the Yankees.

One thing is certain: even non-baseball fans will mourn the passing of a man who made the game interesting for them.

Mostly because of a man who never even played a major league game.