George Steinbrenner’s Legacy

The “King of Baseball” and owner of the New York Yankees is dead, departing a day before the All-Star Game. George Steinbrenner’s departure made front-page news, inspired baseball’s all-star classic to fly the flag at half-staff and made ever more obvious his controversial and often contradictory life.

Born on the 4th of July, 1930, Steinbrenner always lived a liberated life, combining an ingenious and sometimes brutal business savvy with charitable zeal. He did what he felt he must and spent what he felt he ought in order to obtain excellent players and win big time—a passion that took him through 12 managers and 14 general managers, seven World Series championships and 11 American League pennants. Even those who loathed him had to grudgingly admire him.

Steinbrenner was an astute business man who went from a 10-year old chicken-farming entrepreneur to guiding the Yankees from a bargain basement purchase price of $168,000 (his share) to its current worth of $1.6 billion. His contributions to worthy causes and needy people became legendary only long after most of his anonymous gifts had been quietly given. He had a keen brain and a big heart, but, to him, baseball was business first and pleasantries later.

At 80, the “King” is gone, a notable benchmark in athletic history. For sports years to come, the young and eager will tend to mimic him while the old and recollecting will count him a memory to cherish.

But even for men like the “King” who excel, make millions and even share their wealth with the less fortunate, not a single athletic breakthrough can give one Heaven, nor can astounding philanthropy bring one eternal life. I frankly don’t know Steinbrenner’s spiritual state, although his demeanor tended to reflect a secular mindset something less than lofty. My human assessment is shrunken compared with God’s penetrating insight into the spiritual condition of every man.

I hope he understood the Gospel—that the ticket to Heaven is paid in full by Jesus Christ on the cross, and gate-crashing is forbidden. I hope he understood that making a hit on earth through generous gifts for the poor and needy may get you on an earthly first base but can never bring one Home.

Let’s hope that after all the mortal hoopla fades, the angels still rejoice in heaven over one sinner that repented (Luke 15:10). And let us always understand that 2 Timothy 2:19 points to a divine standard for salvation: “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’”

Whenever the humanly adjudged, highest caliber person passes from time to eternity, let us all recall that Christ solemnly warned, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:36-37).

Christ became incredibly poor so the least of us could become incredibly rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 reminds us, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

Earthly riches and fame are mere conveniences, but listing on the Heavenly roster is obligatory for residence there.

Dave Virkler