George Steinbrenner and the Endless Drama: How The Boss Built a Dynasty

George Steinbrenner once called Mike Vaccaro at 3:30 in the morning. The New York Post columnist was covering the 2003 Super Bowl in San Diego. Steinbrenner was in Florida, driving to the Yankees spring training facility in Tampa. The three-hour time difference meant nothing to the man nicknamed The Boss. He wanted to talk.

"He was terrific — a fun interview," Vaccaro recalls. "I had been around him in group settings before, but that was my first one-on-one with him."

That anecdote sets the tone for Vaccaros new book, The Bosses of the Bronx: The Endless Drama of the Yankees Under the House of Steinbrenner. Over 30 chapters, the New York Post columnist who has covered the Yankees for more than two decades chronicles the reign of a man who reshaped baseballs most storied franchise — and arguably the entire sport.

In January 1973, the Cleveland shipping magnate purchased the Yankees from CBS for $8.8 million. The franchise was on its knees. What followed was one of the most remarkable ownership runs in American sports history. Seven World Series championships, a galaxy of stars from Reggie Jackson to Derek Jeter, and a personality so outsized that Steinbrenner once appeared in Pepto-Bismol television advertisements alongside manager Billy Martin.

Yet the Boss was not without his controversies. He was suspended from baseball for two years in 1974 after making illegal campaign contributions to Richard Nixons re-election campaign. He received a lifetime ban in 1990 for paying a gambler to discredit outfielder Dave Winfield. On both occasions, he found his way back. He always did.

The dynamic between Steinbrenner and Martin defined the early years. Both men despised losing more than they loved winning — and neither was capable of backing down. "From day one, George referred to himself as The Boss," Vaccaro writes. "It drove Billy crazy."

Martin was hired, fired, and rehired five separate times. He was in line for a sixth stint before his death in a Christmas Day car crash in 1989.

The book also traces the quieter moments when the franchise kept moving forward. During Steinbrenners suspensions, trusted executives like Gabe Paul in the 1970s and Gene Michael in the 1990s helped the Yankees stay competitive while their owner navigated personal and professional exile. Michael, in particular, protected the franchises future core — including a group of prospects that would later become known as the Core Four: Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera.

When Steinbrenner returned from his second suspension in 1995, the stage was already set. Joe Torre took over as manager, and the Yankees reached the World Series a year later — beginning a run of four titles in five years.

Vaccaro estimates the franchise is now worth between $7 billion and $10 billion. The YES Network, the new stadium, the sustained relevance — all trace back to decisions made under Steinbrenners leadership.

The book does not ignore the tension that remains. The Yankees have not won a championship since 2009, and some fans wonder whether Hal Steinbrenner — who succeeded his father — possesses the same drive. The Los Angeles Dodgers have emerged as the dominant force in baseball. Yet Vaccaro sees reason for optimism.

"Yankees fans are passionate — spoiled, maybe, too used to success," he said. "They really have a serious belief about what the Yankees should be — which Hal does have."

On the day Vaccaro received that 3:30am call, he could not have known he would one day write the definitive account of the dynasty he was watching unfold. The Boss is gone, but the story he built has no end in sight.