Quotes on New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who died Tuesday at age 80:

“George was a giant of the game and his devotion to baseball was surpassed only by his devotion to his family and his beloved New York Yankees. He was and always will be as much of a New York Yankee as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford and all of the other Yankee legends.

“I have known George ever since he entered the game in 1972. He was my dear friend for nearly four decades. Although we would have disagreements over the years, they never interfered with our friendship and commitment to each other. Our friendship was built on loyalty and trust and it never wavered. We were allies and friends in the truest sense of the words.” — baseball commissioner Bud Selig.

“George was The Boss, make no mistake. He built the Yankees into champions and that’s something nobody can ever deny. He was a very generous, caring, passionate man. George and I had our differences, but who didn’t? We became great friends over the last decade and I will miss him very much.” — Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra.

“I will always remember George Steinbrenner as a passionate man, a tough boss, a true visionary, a great humanitarian, and a dear friend. I will be forever grateful that he trusted me with his Yankees for 12 years.” — Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre.

“He and I went from one extreme to the other, and we’re just going to leave it on a good note with him today. He’ll be missed as an icon in this sport, in this game. The history of the sport is gone. Let’s just remember good things about him.” — Hall of Fame outfielder Dave Winfield.

“George was like a father figure to me. He treated me well, he treated me fair and he gave me a wonderful opportunity to play and manage the game we all love.” — Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella.

“He was a champion who made New York a better place, and who always gave back to the city he loved. He has left an indelible legacy on the Yankees, on baseball, and on our city, and he leaves us in the only way that would be appropriate: as a reigning world champion.” — New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.

“I remember a man driven to succeed. He was the owner, The Boss and number one fan of the Yankees.” — Dodgers hitting coach and former Yankees star Don Mattingly.

“His impact on the game is impossible to measure. If you were a Yankee fan there was no better owner because he would do anything at any cost to put the best team on the field.” — Rays adviser Don Zimmer.

“George 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. Mr. 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, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association.

“Who else could be a memorable character on a television show without actually appearing on the show? You felt George even though he wasn’t there. That’s how huge a force of personality he was.” — comedian Jerry Seinfield.