Fans pay their last respects to an icon

Baseball fans throughout the Bay area are paying their last respects to an icon.

Flags across the state of Florida will fly at half-staff to honor the legacy of George Steinbrenner, who passed away Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday evening, fans and players remembered Steinbrenner at the All-Star Game in California. Yankees player and Tampa reident Derek Jeter, along with the entire stadium, bowed their heads in a moment of silence.

Back home in the Bay area, those who knew Steinbrenner are sharing their memories of him.

The IHOP on South Dale Mabry in Tampa, where Steinbrenner frequently ate lunch, has put up a marquee that reads, "George, thanks for the memories."

Remembered in the Bay area and beyond

The New York Yankees remembered their late owner during a Tuesday afternoon news conference.

Members of the Yankees called Steinbrenner tough, but supportive.

"I don't think enough can be said about the support he would give you," said Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte. "But it was tough support."

"I think the expectations he had carried over to the clubhouse," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "And it gave us high expectations."

Early morning 911 call

Tampa Fire Rescue responded to a call at Steinbrenner's house early Tuesday morning. 

Steinbrenner was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital. His death was confirmed a short while later.  Yankees officials said he died of a massive heart attack.

Flags were immediately lowered to half-staff at Steinbrenner Field, where the Yankees play during spring training.

A historic baseball career

Steinbrenner purchased the Yankees in 1973 for $8.7 million.  His ownership of the team marked the end of a lackluster period for the Yankees, which had languished in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

In the decades since then, the Yankees won 11 pennants and seven World Series titles.

He was one of the most controversial figures in major league baseball for his pursuit of high-priced free agents and the feuds he conducted with them.  He was also known for his hands-on, demanding personality, which earned him the nickname "The Boss."   

Steinbrenner was an innovator when it came to the business side of baseball as well.  He was the first team owner to sell TV cable rights to his team. 

Over the course of his tenure as owner of the Yankees, the team's worth grew from $10 million to well over $1 billion. 

Steinbrenner's relationship with the Bay area

Steinbrenner and his foundations have quietly given millions to many causes in the Bay area. Most of his contributions help athletes, children and military group, and are done without much fanfare or public notice.

He reportedly donated more than $1 million to St. Joseph's Children's Hospital, where the Steinbrenner Emergency/Trauma Center for Children is named for him.

Steinbrenner has donated to several Bay area schools. A gift of $250,000 to Tampa Catholic High School allowed the school to install bleachers and lighting at its new football stadium. He also helped Gaither High School pay for a rubber surface for the track and for the school's band to travel to a presidential inauguration.

Last year the Hillsborough County School Board decided to honor him by naming a new high school in Lutz after him.

He has also opened his pockets for Little League teams and the Florida Orchestra.  

One of his organizations, the Gold Shield Foundation, has had a higher-profile in recent days with the deaths of officers David Curtis and Jeffrey Kocab.  The organization provides financial aid to the families and spouses of Bay area law enforcement officers and firefighters who were killed in the line of duty.

Elliott Wiser, Bright House Corporate Vice President of News and Local Programming, and former Bay News 9 General Manager, recalled Steinbrenner's generosity during a sad time at the company.

"In 1999, the original Toyota Sports Connection anchor Dave Logan suddenly passed away," said Elliott Wiser, Bright House Corporate Vice President of News and Local Programming, and former Bay News 9 General Manager. "The next day, Bay News 9 announced that it was doing the Dave Logan Scholarship. Within 24 hours of that announcement, there was a check in the mail from George Steinbrenner, who personally signed the check to start the Dave Logan Scholarship Fund."

The David Logan Scholarship is awarded once each year to four high school seniors (one male and one female in both Tampa Bay and Central Florida) who excel in athletics and academics.

Statement from the Steinbrenner family

"It is with profound sadness that the family of George M. Steinbrenner III announces his passing. He passed away this morning in Tampa, Fla., at age 80.

"He was an incredible and charitable man. First and foremost he was devoted to his entire family – his beloved wife, Joan; his sisters, Susan Norpell and Judy Kamm, his children, Hank, Jennifer,  Jessica and Hal; and all of his grandchildren.

“He was a visionary and a giant in the world of sports. He took a great but struggling franchise and turned it into a champion again.”