NY officials react to Steinbrenner's death

New York officials and sports figures offered statements Tuesday on the death of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

"Few people have had a bigger impact on New York over the past four decades than George Steinbrenner," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

"George had a deep love for New York, and his steely determination to succeed combined with his deep respect and appreciation for talent and hard work made him a quintessential New Yorker."

He said flags at City Hall would be lowered Tuesday in Steinbrenner's honor.

Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig described Steinbrenner as "a giant of the game" and a friend of more than four decades.

He said his devotion to baseball "was surpassed only by his devotion to his family and his beloved New York Yankees."

The executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association said Steinbrenner's "passion for the game of baseball helped revive one of the game's most storied franchises and in the process ushered in the modern era of baseball business operations."

"Steinbrenner understood and embraced the power of the players, and he put this knowledge to good use in establishing the Yankees as one of the sports world's most iconic brands," Michael Weiner, of the players association, said.

Giants president John Mara said Steinbrenner's death "leaves a significant void in the fabric of the sports world and New York City."

"His was a unique, special and unforgettable presence," he said.

Giants chairman Steve Tisch described him as a "dynamic personality."

"He was the ultimate competitor in both worlds. All of us in the business of sports want to win; that is the objective. George personified that ambition," Tisch said.

Jets chairman and chief executive Woody Johnson called Steinbrenner an inspiration and champion "with his own unique style" who "demanded a title for Yankees fans each and every season."

U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) said Steinbrenner was "a larger-than-life personality."

King recounted an anecdote after the Yankees won the 2000 World Series and the team went to the White House. In the Oval Office, while President George W. Bush was speaking, Steinbrenner could be heard piping up in the background.

Bush said jokingly, "Hey, George, I am the boss here." Steinbrenner quieted down, as did everyone else in the room, remembered King, who was in the room.

At a display of police cars outfitted with new LED boards for traffic control, New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said of the blue letters, "You might say this is Yankee Blue [for] George Steinbrenner today."

"He did a tremendous job in building a sports franchise," Kelly said.

"George's single-minded drive in the pursuit of excellence and his devotion to family inspired people far beyond the baseball diamond," U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said in a statement.

"Like New York and like the Yankees, George Steinbrenner was a champion," U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said. "I, along with millions of Yankees fans, am thankful for the countless hours of joy we have experienced watching his team at the Stadium or following them on television and radio. He was a true New York icon."

Steinbrenner's passing marks "the end of an era in New York City baseball history," Mets owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon and team president Saul Katz said in a statement.

"The rise and success of his teams on the field and in the business marketplace under his leadership are a testament to his skill, drive, and determination."

A digital sign on Yankee Stadium Tuesday said, "George M. Steinbrenner III 1930-2010."

With Anthony M. DeStefano, Tom Brune and Matthew Chayes