Mr. Steinbrenner RIP.

On July 13, 2010, on the morning of the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, George Steinbrenner died of a massive heart attack at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Florida. He was 80 years old.

As a Red Sox fan, George Steinbrenner was often public enemy number 1 for me. I often criticized and disparaged the man. But its undeniable the immense effect he had on the game of Baseball, the city of New York, and the NY Yankees.

The most admirable thing about Steinbrenner was his desire to win. He craved world series titles and would put his money and name on the line in pursuit of those championships. In todays sports world, for most teams at least, the profit margin matters far more than the hardware. Not with Steinbrenner.

During Steinbrenner's ownership from 1973 to his death, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned 11 pennants and 7 World Series titles.

This isn't the day or the place to air grievances. Instead, forget about the transgressions, forget about the hate most people have developed for the yankess. Today, honor the man for the qualities that deserved our respect.

RIP George Steinbrenner.

Big Stein, enjoy the eggplant calzone in heaven. And go easy on Billy if you run into him.

Mr. Steinbrenner RIP.