The Bosses of the Bronx

The crazy but true story of how owner George Steinbrenner, followed by his son Hal, have controlled the most famous team in American sports. Since taking over the New York Yankees franchise in 1973, the Steinbrenners have transformed the fabled team from a struggling franchise into a baseball dynasty. George purchased the team for $8.8 million and quickly became known as “The Boss”—a hands-on owner whose relentless pursuit of victory defined an era. Under his leadership, the Yankees captured seven World Series championships, became a global sports brand, and consistently dominated the sports pages. Yet as veteran New York Post columnist Mike Vaccaro reveals, the story of the Steinbrenners and their team is much bigger and more complex—a drama of Shakespearian proportions, combining tragedy and great comedy. In this charming book written with all the candor and verve of the best press box reporting, he goes beyond the headlines to chronicle the complete saga—from the times King George went mad and was eventually banned to how Prince Hal, living in the long shadow of his father, has struggled to put his own unique stamp on the Pinstripe realm. He chronicles the infamous headline-making disputes between the team’s managers and its mercurial owner, a man whose autocratic disposition would eventually get him banned from the game and earn him a place in pop culture lore with the hit sitcom Seinfeld. A fun and wild remembrance of innings past for every Yankee fan and a must-read grudge list for every Yankee hater, The Bosses of the Bronx is a larger-than-life true tale of success, suffering, sacrifice, and downright silliness that captures this great franchise and the game of baseball itself.