“He Showed the Right Way”: Timberwolves Owner Alex Rodriguez Aims to Emulate George Steinbrenner’s Vision For the Yankees

If there’s one thing we know about the late George Steinbrenner – he was the most passionate of owners MLB has ever seen. From his ultra-high competitiveness to utter loyalty to the New York Yankees brand, Steinbrenner’s impact on everyone around him was monumental. Even players couldn’t help but praise this mad genius of baseball. And now it looks like Alex Rodriguez is using his former boss’ vision to guide him through his own journey with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

While the drama surrounding the Timberwolves’ ownership is far from over, Rodriguez has already much of what he wants to do when the dust settles. The fact that he’s “fallen in love” with Minnesota is just a cherry on top. The Yankees legend remembered Steinbrenner when he appeared on The Michael Kay Show to explain what he dreams of achieving with the T-Wolves.

“We want to give back to the community,” Alex Rodriguez said about his objectives. “I learned under the great George Steinbrenner. He showed us the way. It’s a new arena, new building. It’s the YES Network that he built…We hope to do a lot of the same things if we have an opportunity.” 

Rodriguez highlighted how his presence has improved the overall level of the Timberwolves. From their on-field product to attendance figures, the team is on the rise. “The progression over the last three years…From 3000 season tickets to sales over 11,000. The business is doing great and we have 10 of our 15 players in the age of 25,” A-Rod said. 

Still, even though the progress is there for all to see, things could come in naught anytime for Alex Rodriguez. His ongoing ownership battle with Glen Taylor highlights just how fragile things currently are for him.

Alex Rodriguez’s still fragile hold on the Timberwolves is a sign of worry

Though Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore’s group owns nearly 40% of the Minnesota Timberwolves, things aren’t any better for them yet. The arbitration is expected to last throughout the summer. But there’s no guarantee that the arbitration’s decision to be in his favor. Still, with the addition of Michael Bloomberg to their group, A-Rod has made his intentions clear. He wants to fight till the end to get his hands on the T-Wolves.

Can the New York Yankees legend create a legacy similar to George Steinbrenner? That’s a very tough act to follow. After all, not even the Bronx Bombers fans believe that there can be another Steinbrenner. But if Alex Rodriguez can bring even a tinge of the winning culture to the Timberwolves (he has succeeded till now), it sure will be an interesting sight to see.