NEW YORK — Hank Steinbrenner, the oldest son of George Steinbrenner and one of the four siblings who own the controlling shares of the New York Yankees, died Tuesday at age 63.
The team said he died at home in Clearwater, Florida, due to a long-standing health issue.
A chain smoker and miniature drag racer, Hank hoped to succeed as father as the team’s controlling owner. Between the 2007 and 2008 seasons, he became the public voice of the Yankees’ ownership.
“We’re keepers of the flame, I guess,” he said then. “I don’t particularly necessarily enjoy it.