Winfield Sues His Boss, Seeks Foundation Funds

Dave Winfield sued his boss, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, for more than $1 million that the outfielder said is owed to his foundation, which fights drug abuse.

In a lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Winfield charged that Steinbrenner has not complied with an agreement to pay $300,000 a year to the David M. Winfield Foundation.

Steinbrenner, in a statement, said a yearlong investigation of Winfield’s foundation discovered “numerous questionable practices” that would be outlined in a countersuit to be filed Monday.

Kenneth E. Warner, Steinbrenner’s attorney, said the Yankees will complain in a suit of excessive and wasteful limousine travel expenses amounting to more than $40,000 over a 2-year period, excessive and disproportionate management and administrative costs and other items.

Winfield’s suit seeks $450,000 that Winfield says Steinbrenner has not paid in quarterly payments owed since Sept. 1, 1987. In addition, the suit seeks the balance owed, for a total of $1,050,000, for the 10-year life of the contract.