New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner fainted Saturday at a memorial service for football great Otto Graham in Sarasota, Fla., and was hospitalized in stable condition, an emergency official said.
“He fainted,” Paul Dezzi of the Sarasota County Fire Department said. “When we arrived, he was alert and oriented. He was very talkative in the ambulance. He was stable.”
Steinbrenner, 73, was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital. He was given oxygen, an electrocardiogram and intravenous fluids in the ambulance, Dezzi said.
Based on the preliminary tests, Dezzi said, “Everything showed up fine.”
Graham, a longtime friend of Steinbrenner’s, died Dec. 17. The Hall of Fame quarterback was 82.
Steinbrenner grew up in Cleveland and became friends with Graham, the Browns’ star quarterback from 1946-55. They were golf partners, attended banquets together and helped each other with charity events.
– Outfielder Brian Jordan and the Texas Rangers agreed to a one-year contract that guarantees him $1,375,000.
The former All-Star hit .299 with six homers and 28 RBIs in 66 games last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers before surgery July 11 for tendinitis in his left knee. He is expected to be at full strength when spring training starts.
– Left-hander Valerio De Los Santos agreed to a one-year, $850,000 contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, who also agreed to minor-league deals with right-hander Jayson Durocher and outfielder Chad Hermanson.
De Los Santos, 31, was a combined 4-3 with a 4.50 ERA last season with Milwaukee and Philadelphia, which acquired him Sept. 2 for a player to be named.
Durocher, 29, was 2-0 with an 11.05 ERA last season with Milwaukee.
Hermanson, 26, hit .160 with two RBIs in 11 games and 25 at-bats with Los Angeles last season.
