In Brief : Steinbrenner, Winfield Gifts Listed

New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner paid $600,000 in two recent years to the David M. Winfield Foundation, while the Yankees outfielder paid $35,000 in that period, USA Today said today, citing tax records as its source.

Winfield’s 10-year contract with the Yankees requires that Steinbrenner pay the foundation $300,000 a year. Winfield, under the contract, is required to pay $100,000 a year.

The foundation, which supports anti-drug programs and gives scholarships to New York-area high school students, is the subject of lawsuits filed both by Winfield and Steinbrenner. The outfielder’s suit maintains that Steinbrenner owes the foundation $450,000, while Steinbrenner’s countersuit maintains that the outfielder has misused the foundation and has not made his required contributions.

Steinbrenner has said that in view of his questions about how the foundation’s finances are being handled, he has made his required contributions to an escrow account.

Winfield’s lawyer, Jeff Klein, when asked about Winfield’s contributions, told USA that his client has paid the foundation “in a variety of ways.”

“He’s paid loans, given loans, forgiven interest (on loans to the foundation),” Klein said.

The newspaper said latest tax records on file with the foundation center in Washington show no outstanding debts to Winfield or other officers.