New York Yankees co-owner Hank Steinbrenner dead at 63

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

Hank Steinbrenner, the New York Yankees’ general partner and co-owner, died Tuesday at his Florida home after a long illness. He was 63.

Steinbrenner, who took over major league baseball's most storied and wealthy franchise after the 2010 death of his father, George Steinbrenner, died in Clearwater, The New York Times reported. Hank Steinbrenner was co-owner of the team with his younger brother, Hal Steinbrenner.

In a statement from the Steinbrenner family, the Yankees said Hank Steinbrenner was “a genuine and gentle spirit who treasured the deep relationships he formed with those closest to him.”

Hank Steinbrenner was prepared to take over as the Yankees' lead spokesman when his father's involvement began to decline in 2007, but his younger brother took a larger and became the face of the organization, NJ.com reported.

“(Hank) was just a really, really good man," Ray Negron, a longtime friend of the Steinbrenner family, told the website in a telephone call Tuesday morning. “One of the best people I ever met in my life.”

The Yankees were ranked No. 1 on Forbes' list of most valuable major league baseball franchises for the 23rd consecutive year.

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