Bernie Williams, who is currently traveling outside the country performing, released the following statement this evening:

“I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Mr. Steinbrenner today. It was a privilege to know and work for him, and my heart goes out to the entire Steinbrenner family.

I will forever be grateful to Mr Steinbrenner for allowing me to become part of the Yankee organization, and then stay a Yankee for my entire career. He will go down as one of the greatest owners in the history of baseball, and all of sports. No one wanted to win more than Mr. Steinbrenner, and he did whatever it took to put his team in the best position to win. From there, it was up to all of us in the Yankee organization, from the front office, to the grounds crew, to the clubhouse assistants, to all of us players and staff, to do our jobs, and perform to the best of our ability.

Year in and year out, inspired by his commitment to excellence, I always knew I had to be at the very top of my game to meet the high expectations he set. He made me a better baseball player – and for that, I will be forever grateful to him. He will be missed, and never forgotten”

 

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