Steinbrenner Is Ordered to Quit : Baseball: Vincent rules that he must resign as general partner of Yankees by Aug. 20 for making $40,000 payment to gambler.

George Steinbrenner’s turbulent reign as New York Yankee owner all but ended Monday when Commissioner Fay Vincent forced him to give up control of the team for paying a gambler for information about outfielder Dave Winfield, now of the Angels.

“Mr. Steinbrenner will have no further involvement in the management of the New York Yankees or in the day-to-day operations of that club,” Vincent said in announcing the decision.

The agreement came after a daylong meeting in the commissioner’s office and was the result of a four-month investigation into Steinbrenner’s $40,000 payment to Howard Spira.

Steinbrenner must resign as general partner by Aug. 20, when someone will be appointed to take his place, subject to the approval of Vincent and the other major league teams.

Steinbrenner, 60, will be allowed to consult on major business decisions involving the Yankees, but cannot participate in player deals. He must also ask Vincent’s permission to attend games.

“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 also agreed not to contest the decision in court.

“I will not comment on the decision,” Steinbrenner said. “I’m very happy it was resolved. I’m very satisfied with the resolution, and that’s all I’m going to say.”

As one baseball’s more fiery characters, Steinbrenner was famous for his hiring and firing of managers, particularly the late Billy Martin, and for feuding with his players, including Reggie Jackson and Winfield.

Steinbrenner is the only owner to be penalized twice for major offenses. He was suspended in 1974 by Bowie Kuhn for making illegal campaign contributions to President Nixon.

“I am able to evaluate a pattern of behavior that borders on the bizarre,” Vincent said.

“It is apparent to me that Mr. Steinbrenner does not appreciate the gravity of his conduct,” he said.

“In short, I must get the attention of this owner. He must learn to be more careful, to listen to his advisers, and to consider more carefully all the ramifications of his conduct. It is my sincere hope that the sanctions . . . will have the result I intend. If they do not, I or my successor will be confronting Mr. Steinbrenner once again. And that cannot be in the best interest of baseball.”

The news spread quickly through Yankee Stadium, where New York played Detroit, and fans greeted the announcement with a 90-second standing ovation.

Said Pete Peterson, Yankee general manager: “I’m absolutely shocked at the severity and all I can tell you is I feel very sad at this moment. The man has his faults, but he has done a lot of good things. He’s done a lot for baseball and especially for baseball in New York for the Yankees. He was the type of competitor that this town could really appreciate.”

Vincent disciplined Steinbrenner for violating Rule 21, otherwise known as the “best interests of baseball” clause.

The investigation centered on Steinbrenner’s $40,000 payment to Spira, a self-described gambler and a former employee of the David M. Winfield Foundation.

Steinbrenner testified before Vincent July 5-6 and gave various reasons for the payment. Among them were that he was afraid Spira would attack his family, that he gave Spira the money “out of the goodness of my heart” and that he wanted to protect two former Yankees employees from embarrassing revelations.

“I hope this sad episode is now over,” Vincent said.

This was the second consecutive summer baseball penalized one of its more famous figures. Last August, Pete Rose was banned for life for gambling.

Steinbrenner’s 18-year tenure as principal owner of the Yankees has been peppered with disciplinary action by the commissioner’s office.

He has been fined several times, the most recently on July 5 when Vincent docked him $25,000 for tampering with Winfield in the days after his May 11 trade to California. The Yankees also were ordered to pay the Angels $200,000.

On Nov. 27, 1974, Kuhn suspended Steinbrenner for two years following his guilty plea to felony violations of the federal election law. Steinbrenner was reinstated on March 1, 1976, for good behavior, but former Yankees employees have said recently that Steinbrenner violated terms of that suspension.

Vincent said he asked Steinbrenner to reduce his interest to below 50 percent within the next six months.

“The new general partner does not have to own more than Mr. Steinbrenner,” he said.

Vincent said Steinbrenner can only sell to a family member with the commissioner’s approval.

“We haven’t ruled out his son as a general partner, but we have imposed very severe restrictions on any family member involved with the team. If a family member was found to deal with Mr. Steinbrenner, he could be expelled from baseball,” he said.

Spira is under federal indictment on charges he tried to extort money from Steinbrenner and threatened the owner and Winfield. Spira has pleaded not guilty, and a trial is expected later this year.

“This decision is largely the result of admitted conduct by Mr. Steinbrenner, although there is ample evidence from other sources supporting the conclusion I have reached,” Vincent said.

“Some may argue that nothing very serious is involved in this case; that Mr. Steinbrenner erred, but not egregiously; that there are worse problems in baseball and that these errors do not merit a strong punitive response. I strongly disagree. I sat through the two days of Mr. Steinbrenner’s testimony and I am able to judge the degree of candor and contrition present in this case. I am able to discern an attempt to force explanations in hindsight onto discomforting facts . . .

“Mr. Steinbrenner knew that the payment to Spira was ill-advised because all his advisers spoke against it. He knew Spira was or had been a gambler--it matters not which--and yet he made the payment. He knew Spira claimed he had been promised money or a job or both, and yet Mr. Steinbrenner made the payment, thereby validating the claims that Spira was being paid for providing information.

“He knew the payment, if exposed, would look bad and he knew, or at least should have known, that if the payment were exposed, it would bring disrepute to him and therefore to baseball. As a result, efforts were made to cover it up.”