Executive Gabe Paul Dead at 88

Gabe Paul, a baseball executive who helped build a World Series championship team for the New York Yankees, died this weekend. He was 88.

Paul had been battling an extended illness in a nursing home and died Sunday in a Tampa hospital. A cause has not been determined. Paul suffered from a series of strokes recently and broke his hip about 18 months ago.

“Gabe Paul was a dear friend and the most knowledgeable baseball man I ever met in my 25 years in the game,” Yankee owner George Steinbrenner said.

Paul helped put together pennant-winning teams for the Cincinnati Reds and Yankees, including New York’s 1977 World Series winners. He also won two executive of the year awards in his career.

“Gabe Paul was a baseball man all his life,” Yankee Stadium public address announcer Bob Sheppard said in a tribute prior to New York’s game against Toronto on Monday night. “Let us now remember him with affection, admiration and respect.”