The silent type George Steinbrenner was not.

Below is a roundup of some of the "Boss's" most memorable statements from the time he took over the Yankees in 1973 to his death after succumbing to a heart attack.

"I'll never have a heart attack. I give them." - USA Today

"Second place is really the first loser." - Esquire

"Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing. Breathing first, winning next." - NBC Sports

"If you haven't got a hernia yet, you ain't pulling your share." - Brainyquote.com

Steinbrenner on Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu, after he failed to cover first base in a 1999 Ft. Lauderdale exhibition game: “fat pussy toad” - ESPN

"I don't want to see Yankees with long hair. I don't go for that crap." - Esquire

"Owning the Yankees is like owning the Mona Lisa." - Newsday

"Before every home World Series game, I walk the restrooms of Yankee Stadium to make sure they're clean." - Chicago Tribune

"Don't just drink from the gymnasium fountain. Drink from every fountain on campus." - Esquire

"New Yorkers are strong people. They've got to fight in the morning to get a cab. They go to a lunch place at noon, they gotta fight to get a table or a stool off the counter. You have to give the city a team that's filled with battlers." - Esquire

"When you're entrusted with a tradition, you've got to protect it." - Esquire

"Don't talk to me about aesthetics or tradition. Talk to me about what sells and what's good right now. And what the American people like is to think the underdog still has a chance." - Brainyquote.com

"What happened in Cleveland will eventually happen to Yankee Stadium. We grow. We can hold on to traditions in certain ways, but we can't hold on to all of it forever. Look at the restrooms at Yankee Stadium: They're not good enough anymore. I go to the World Series at Yankee Stadium and see a long line of guys waiting to get into the men's room. Waiting! All I can do is say, 'Hey, guys, hang tough!'" - Esquire

"I am dead set against free agency. It can ruin baseball." - NBC Sports, Hardballtalk

"I'm really 95 percent Mr. Rogers and only 5 percent Oscar the Grouch." - ESPN

"Having people scream nasty things at you is part of sports. I've had my share of it. They pay their money, they can say what they want." - Esquire

"Joe Torre is special to me. He was fired in three places before we hired him. The Mets had fired him. People said he didn't know what he was doing. There was a headline in the Daily News: CLUELESS JOE. I never let him forget that." - Esquire

Steinbrenner dies at 80 Steinbrenner dead after massive heart attack Celizic: 'Boss' was dictator, and world champion Yankees pay tribute  |  Win one for the Boss Steinbrenner entombed in Florida mausoleum HBT: Doesn't sound like Bill Lee to miss Boss HBT: Don't whitewash what Steinbrenner was Newsweek: The most hated man in baseball   'A very sad day,' Darryl Strawberry says   Yankees fans show their respect Classic Steinbrenner: Witty quotes from 'Boss' Newsweek: Remembrances of the Boss Interactive: Steinbrenner timeline  |    Images   Was Steinbrenner greatest owner in sports? Mailbag: Readers react to Steinbrenner's death Timeline: All 27 World Series titles by Yankees

On the price of the Yankees franchise: "That only matters if you're selling.... And I'm not selling." - New York Daily News

Steinbrenner, comparing himself to Gen. George Patton: “He was a gruff son of a bitch and he led through fear. I hope I don’t lead through fear, and I would hope it was more love and respect, but maybe it isn’t.” - The New York Times

"I am tough. Sometimes I'm unreasonable. I have to catch myself every once in a while." - Reuters

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