Vincent’s Action Is Cheered, Booed by Former Yankees : Reaction: Memories of Steinbrenner are colored by whether they enjoyed their lives in pinstripes.

At Yankee Stadium, they cheered.

And in ballparks around the country, Yankee alumni sounded off with everything from unqualified support for Yankee owner George Steinbrenner to blatant glee at the news that he had been ordered to surrender control of his team by Fay Vincent, commissioner of baseball.

Few were willing to let Steinbrenner go quietly into the night.

“I thought he’d get out of it,” said former Yankee and frequent Steinbrenner adversary Reggie Jackson in Minnesota, where he was working an Angel telecast. “I didn’t think the sanctions would be this severe. That’s about as bad as it can get. He (will become) a limited partner, and that’s pretty limited.”

No regrets from Luis Polonia, traded by Steinbrenner to the Angels earlier this season.

“He deserved it,” Polonia said. “If you own a baseball team, why don’t you stick with your business, mind your business and not get into everyone else’s business? This is the best thing for baseball and that team. I guess everybody’s happy about it.

“I’m pretty sure now more people will be coming to the games. The players are going to enjoy it more because they’re not going to have him on their backs. It’s great. . . . I’m pretty sure all the guys there are happy. Whoever is going to be the manager of the Yankees now can relax and enjoy it. When he was out there, he was always on the manager’s back. I hope they really keep him out of there.

“I’m sure a lot of people are throwing parties there right now. If I was on that team, I’d be throwing a party for not having him on my back anymore. I’m glad I’m here. I was happy to get out of New York. But if I was there, I’d be the happiest guy in the world tonight.”

Polonia’s sentiments were not echoed, however, in San Diego, where support for Steinbrenner was unanimous among the former Yankees.

Padre first baseman Jack Clark, who left the St. Louis Cardinals after the 1987 season for a three-year, $6-million contract with the Yankees that, in essence, broke the collusive activities between the owners and players, said that he always will respect Steinbrenner “for having the guts to go against the other owners. He was the only one who’d give me an offer. He didn’t give a damn what all the other owners said. He just wanted a winner.

“That’s why this whole thing now is (horrible). It stinks.”

Ed Whitson, who left San Diego after the 1984 season to sign a five-year, $4.4-million Yankee contract and then asked Steinbrenner to trade him two years later, said: “This is a shock. I didn’t think I’d ever see a day where George would agree to give up the Yankees. . . . A lot of people think George Steinbrenner was a bad man, but I’ll tell you right now, I’ll respect him to the day he dies. He’s as honest as any man I’ve ever met.”

No argument from Padre third baseman Mike Pagliarulo, who was brought up in the Yankee organization.

“Really, it’s pretty tough to imagine,” Pagliarulo said. “It’s always been the New York Yankees and George Steinbrenner. To see him not there will be very strange. He was always good to me, and it really peeved me to see all these guys ripping him.

“He was great with me. I remember when I hit my first home run, he sent me a big thing of champagne. And when I had my first son, he sent my wife flowers.”

Padre pitcher Dennis Rasmussen had two stints in the Yankee organization, but said he would have gone back.

“I always enjoyed it there,” he said. “But I never had to take the heat, either. That was always (Dave) Winfield, and some of the other free-agent players who took the heat. I’d play there again.

“I’ll tell you what, though. There was never a dull moment. Every day was something. The writers always beat the players to the ballpark because they knew something would happen.”

Former Yankee Manager Lou Piniella, now managing the Cincinnati Reds, had no comment. And one of his players, Ken Griffey, another former Yankee, would only add, “I left that place. That’s all I want to say about it.”

Said the Dodgers’ Jay Howell, who also once wore Yankee pinstripes, “I haven’t been reading about it, so I don’t have anything to say. Even when I was playing in New York, I wouldn’t read about Steinbrenner.”

The owners, as expected, backed their commissioner.

“There was never any doubt in my mind that Commissioner Vincent would give Mr. Steinbrenner a fair hearing,” Dodger owner Peter O’Malley said. “I support the commissioner’s decision. The commissioner’s ability to sanction those acting against the best interests of baseball is critical to maintain the integrity of the game.”

One dissenting voice belonged to Gabe Paul, who took over control of the Yankees in 1974 after Steinbrenner was suspended by then-Commissioner Bowie Kuhn for making illegal campaign contributions.

Describing himself “in shock” at Vincent’s action, Paul told the Associated Press, “I think the commissioner gave into pressure, pressure of the media.”

Jackson, who had his share of battles with Steinbrenner during his years in New York, had not thought the Yankee owner would lose this one quite so decisively.

“I’m kind of surprised, but it seems as though this is final,” Jackson said. “From what you know of George Steinbrenner, I didn’t think he was going to take this sitting down. But it sounds as though it’s final and that he made some kind of deal where he wouldn’t sue.”

Was it a good deal for the game?

“Certainly, baseball winds up with a black eye here, the Yankees more than anything,” Jackson said. “For the game, it’s just a bruise. The game goes on. Nobody’s too big in this game.”

Times staff writers Helene Elliott, Bob Nightengale and Bill Plaschke contributed to this story.