Dave Winfield played for the New York Yankees for almost 10 years. But when he entered the Hall of Fame in 2001, he chose to wear a San Diego Padres cap instead. The reason comes straight down to his bad blood with the Yankees and their former owner, George Steinbrenner.

Just a day ago, looking back on his time in New York, Winfield called the team’s work environment “toxic.” During his appearance on the “All the Smoke Baseball” podcast, Winfield talked about the team culture and the toll it took on him.

“Those nine-plus years that I was there, there wasn’t one day that I felt the organization was on my side trying to help me promote me, move me forward,” he recalled. “You got to go to work every day, a toxic work environment.”

The owner was famous for making big-name signings and then trashing them in the media. He did it to Reggie Jackson during the late-1970s. But with Winfield, the clash went way beyond just yelling in the dugout.

Winfield joined the Yankees after having four All-Star seasons in a row with the Padres. Steinbrenner signed him to the most expensive contract of the time – a 10-year, $23 million deal before the 1980 season. Things took no time to turn ugly as Steinbrenner refused to pay him the full amount.

“He basically told me to my face, he said, ‘I’m not going to give you all your money, and if you don’t like it, sue me,’” Winfield revealed on the podcast. “You’re going to have to fight for that.”

And Winfield did sue in 1989 when Steinbrenner did not pay the guaranteed money for the David M. Winfield Foundation, a clause included in his contract. The relationship only went downhill from there.

The Yankees’ owner even hired a gambler named Howie Spira for $40,000 to find dirt on his own slugger in 1990. Steinbrenner’s actions brought on a disciplinary move from the then-MLB Commissioner Fay Vincent.

The commissioner banned Steinbrenner for life from running the Yankees’ day-to-day operations. However, the ban was lifted after two years, when he returned in 1993.

Winfield’s woes did not end here. Steinbrenner chose different ways to make his time in the Bronx unbearable.

During his first World Series appearance in 1981, Winfield failed to produce at the plate, going 1-for-22 in six games, recording five walks and one RBI. It was also the only year he played in the postseason as a Yankee. But Winfield was impressive in the regular season, slashing .290/.356/.495 over his nine-plus years in the pinstripes.

Steinbrenner came up with a humiliating nickname for him in 1985. For not performing later in the season, he called Winfield “Mr. May,” a mocking opposite to Reggie Jackson’s “Mr. October” moniker.

The Hall of Famer’s toxic stay at the Yankees finally came to an end in 1990, when he was traded to the California Angels mid-season. His tenure with the Yankees certainly affected him heavily, but it did not stop him from reaching legendary status.

A glance at Dave Winfield’s baseball career

Dave Winfield started his baseball career with the San Diego Padres in 1973. Drafted in the same year, he was the Padres’ fourth overall pick. He won two of his seven Gold Glove awards with the team.

Winfield spent eight years wearing the Friars jersey and entered the Hall of Fame donning the franchise’s cap. It was a nod to a time before he battled through the “toxic” environment inside the Yankees franchise.

Winfield became an All-Star for the first eight seasons in a row with the Yankees. He also won five Gold Glove Awards and five Silver Slugger Awards in those nine years. He played 1172 games for New York, clocking 205 homers and 818 RBI.

After the Yankees traded him, Winfield navigated four clubs in six years, finally retiring with the Cleveland Guardians in 1995. However, he won the World Series ring with the Toronto Blue Jays, playing a pivotal role in their victory.

Winfield’s biggest baseball moment came in 1992.

At 40 years old, he hit the game-winning double in the 11th inning of Game 6 against the Braves, winning the World Series for the Blue Jays.

In his 22-year-long MLB career, Winfield’s slash line reads .283/.353/.475 in 2973 games. He hit 465 home runs, 1833 RBI, and 1216 walks while recording an .828 OPS. And when that legend talks about clubhouse toxicity, we had to pay attention.