New York Yankees’ Boss, George Steinbrenner, passed away a few weeks ago at the age of 80. Here are some of his pearls of wisdom in an Esquire “What I’ve Learned” column from 2002 – when he was a young 71.
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When you’re entrusted with a tradition, you’ve got to protect it.
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If you haven’t got a hernia yet, you ain’t pulling your share.
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The rate of the pack is determined by the speed of the leader.
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Second place is really the first loser.
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Having people scream nasty things at you is part of sports. I’ve had my share of it. They pay their money, they can say what they want.
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Patton had his shortcomings: He couldn’t get along with the others. But every time they got in trouble, who’d they turn to?
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When it comes to hiring, number one for me is loyalty. I want a person who’s devoted to the task.
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Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way.
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Don’t ever get so serious that you can’t laugh at yourself.
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It thrills me to sing the national anthem.
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If I can help, I wanna help.
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The ability to have is so you can do things for others. If you can do things for others who are less fortunate, then it will come back to you.
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I never ask a man to work harder than I work.
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There are people who probably call me Boss as a joke. But most of the people who call me that, it’s respect.