Yankees-inspired 2007 holiday cards sent by George Steinbrenner to his business associates

For 2007, George Steinbrenner sent out tasteful holiday cards to his many business associates. The design was printed on a buff-colored, heavy matte card stock and featured the sentiment “Happy Holidays” printed in dark blue, large letters in a type style known as Lucida Calligraphy. Below this was attached a thin, metallic black-and-gold Christmas ornament featuring a three-inch black ring with a black New York Yankees batting helmet in the center. The words “New York Yankees 2007 Where Players Become Legends” are printed in gold foil, as is the trim on the batting helmet. Mr. Steinbrenner’s signature appears in blue ink at the bottom right-hand corner of the card above the words “New York Yankees” printed in a script font.

George Michael Steinbrenner III was born on July 4, 1930 in Rock River, Ohio. After a stint in the Air Force and as an assistant football coach at Northwestern and Purdue Universities, he became owner and CEO of his father’s multimillion dollar Cleveland-based shipbuilding company. This allowed him to head the investment group which purchased America’s most famous baseball franchise in 1973.

The early years of Steinbrenner’s tenure were filled with both controversy and great achievements. He drew the ire of many in the game by inking superstars Goose Gossage and Reggie Jackson to record free-agent contracts. He was suspended in 1976 for having made illegal campaign contributions to Richard Nixon and returned to see his beloved Yankees capture back-to-back World Series titles in 1977 and 1978.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Steinbrenner became most famous for making 17 managerial changes in his first 17 years with the team, including hiring and firing Billy Martin five times. In 1990, Steinbrenner was again banned by baseball for making an illegal payment to confessed-gambler Howie Spira to dig up damaging information on former star player and nemesis Dave Winfield (talk about the Grinch who stole Christmas). He returned in 1993 in time to see the Yanks become a dynasty, winning the World Series in 1996 and from 1998-2000.

George Steinbrenner remains controversial with a string of high-priced free agent signings which has taken the team payroll over $200 million in recent years – $70 million higher than their nearest competitor and $140 million higher than the average baseball payroll. Some critics have even accused Steinbrenner of trying to buy the championship ring, dubbing the Yankees the “Evil Empire.”