This ring belonged to one of the Nederlander brothers) who partnered with George Steinbrenner when he purchased the Yankees in 1973. At the time the once proud franchise was going through a rough period, having been out of serious contention since the mid-1960s. Steinbrenner and the new owners vowed to change that. Through a series of brilliant trades and the infusion of cash, the Yankees climbed to the top of the AL standings in 1976. Though the team was swept by the Big Red Machine in the 1976 World Series, this marked the return of championship baseball to the Big Apple. To celebrate their AL pennant, Steinbrenner commissioned this championship ring, the first of what would become the Yankees late 70s-early 80s dynasty.
The 10-karat gold ring has the iconic bat-and-hat Yankees logo in white stones atop a genuine diamond-studded face with raised letters proclaiming, "Yankees American League Champions." The left shank reads, “NEDERLANDER” in a ribbon above the iconic bat-and-hat Yankees logo, and the word "PRIDE." The right shank features a panorama of Yankee Stadium at the center of raised letters reading, "1976" and "TRADITION” below. The inside is hallmarked "Balfour 10K." The size 9-1/2 ring weighs 32 grams and shows a good amount of wear. Wonderful example of the first of the many championship rings George Steinbrenner issued to his prized players and executives.
The partiarch of the Nederlander family, David Nederlander ("D.T."), founded the Nederlander Organization in 1905. It remains one of the largest operators of live theaters and music venues in the United States, now in control of nine Broadway theatres as well as several others worldwide. He had five sons who would eventually become minority owners of the Yankees in the 1970s. During the infamous Steinbrenner suspension from Major League Baseball from 1990 to '93 (for hiring a gambler to dig up dirt on Dave Winfield before he hit free agency), youngest son Robert served as Managing General Partner before resigning the post. Interestingly enough, it was during that three-year stint without "The Boss" at the helm that the Yankees really revamped their farm system and planted the seeds for the late '90s dynasty led by Jeter, Pettitte, Posada and Rivera.