Fay Vincent, the commissioner who banned George Steinbrenner from baseball in 1990, died Saturday. He was 86.
Vincent died in a hospital in Vero Beach, Fla., after complications from bladder cancer, his wife, Christina, told The New York Times.
It was under Vincent’s guidance that the 1989 Bay Area World Series resumed following an earthquake.
Vincent also led MLB’s first expansion in over 15 years and, as deputy commissioner, was involved in the Pete Rose gambling investigation that led to baseball’s all-time hits leader accepting a lifetime ban
Fay Vincent (l.) with Bud Selig (r.) in 1990.AP
But Vincent was more directly involved in Steinbrenner’s banishment, after the Yankees owner paid $40,000 to Howie Spira for information meant to embarrass one of the team’s stars, Dave Winfield.
Steinbrenner agreed to a lifetime ban in which he maintained his ownership stake in the Yankees but would relinquish control of the team’s daily operations.
“For all purposes, Mr. Steinbrenner agrees that he is to be treated as if he had been placed on the permanent ineligible list,” Vincent said.
Steinbrenner officially returned to the game in 1993, a year after Vincent resigned from his position (under pressure from several owners who were unhappy with the direction the game was headed economically).
In his resignation letter, Vincent made it clear he believed his responsibility was to the game and not the owners’ wallets.
“I accepted the position believing the Commissioner has a higher duty and that sometimes decisions have to be made that are not in the best interests of some owners,” Vincent wrote, as recorded by the Society for American Baseball Research. “Unique power was granted to the Commissioner of Baseball for sound reasons — to maintain the integrity of the game and to temper owner decisions predicated solely on self-interest. The Office should be maintained as a strong institution. My views on this have not changed.
George Steinbrenner in 1990.AP
“I remind all that ownership of a baseball team is more than ownership of an ordinary business. Owners have a duty to take into consideration that they own a part of America’s national pastime — in trust. This trust sometimes requires putting self-interest second.”
Vincent, a Waterbury, Conn., native and Williams College graduate who earned a law degree at Yale, had succeeded Bart Giamatti as commissioner in 1989. Giamatti suffered a fatal heart attack before completing his first year on the job.
Vincent’s first significant task as commissioner was ensuring the World Series between the Giants and Athletics resumed following a 6.9 magnitude earthquake that shook the Bay Area before Game 3 at Candlestick Park.
The series was delayed 10 days before it resumed, with the Athletics winning the next two games to complete a sweep.
“Fay Vincent played a vital role in ensuring that the 1989 Bay Area World Series resumed responsibly following the earthquake prior to Game Three, and he oversaw the process that resulted in the 1993 National League expansion to Denver and Miami,” commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “Mr. Vincent served the game during a time of many challenges, and he remained proud of his association with our National Pastime throughout his life. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Fay’s family and friends.”
