Baseball legend Dave Winfield has launched a revealing new memoir titled "Touching All The Bases," co-written with Alan Maimon, that chronicles his Hall of Fame career along with the difficult relationship he had with New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. The book provides an honest look at the decade-long feud with Steinbrenner that involved relentless legal disputes and personal challenges, including Steinbrenner’s payment to a gambler for dirt on Winfield. Despite this intense pressure, Winfield delivered an outstanding performance on the field, retiring with over 3,100 hits and a World Series-winning hit for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992.

Winfield details the origins of his troubles with Steinbrenner, starting with a complex 10-year, $23 million contract that included a cost-of-living clause which the owner did not fully grasp. The situation deteriorated as Steinbrenner launched persistent attacks including legal actions and public discrediting. Winfield describes this period as exceptionally challenging, having to maintain his athletic excellence amidst no support, while simultaneously managing a separate complex legal case concerning child support claims that intertwined with Steinbrenner’s disputes against him.

The memoir also touches on how a disappointing 1981 World Series performance by Winfield, when the Yankees lost to the Dodgers, may have contributed to the souring of his relationship with Steinbrenner. Even after reconciliation shortly before Steinbrenner’s death in 2010, the owner never revealed the true motives behind his aggressive campaign against Winfield. Although Winfield remains connected with the Yankees, including returning for occasional appearances, his number has not been retired and he is not enshrined as a Yankee in Monument Park, having chosen to enter the Hall of Fame as a San Diego Padre.

At 74, Winfield sees this memoir as a way to set the record straight and share lessons about resilience and leadership under adversity. Having had a long career both as a player and an executive with the Padres, he looks forward to reengaging with the team and its new ownership. Winfield’s hope is that by telling his story, others can learn how to rise above formidable challenges, embodying strength and grace in the face of intense scrutiny and personal battles.