A quarter of a century ago today, The Boss was back in the Bronx. After George Steinbrenner hired his own personal deep throat in convicted gambler Howard Spira to dig up dirt on Dave Winfield, commissioner Fay Vincent banned the animated owner from the Yankees’ day-to-day activities in July of 1990.
Steinbrenner coughed up $40,000 to Spira in attempt to expose Winfield for inappropriate use of funds generated by the Winfield Foundation, which never revealed any wrongdoing on Winfield’s part. Instead, Steinbrenner received a lifetime ban from the team, but remained the franchise owner.
The relationship between Steinbrenner and Winfield never seemed to have a chance.