Prince Hal to be king. Boss' son steps up; Cashman and Torre safe for now
Prince Hal to be king
Boss' son steps up; Cashman and Torre safe for now
BY BILL MADDEN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS
After years of avoiding the spotlight of the Yankee empire, George Steinbrenner's youngest son has stepped up to take the leading role of a franchise in a state of flux.
Hal Steinbrenner, 38, has quietly assumed the role of general partner of the Yankees in the past few weeks, the Daily News has learned - a move that could delay decisions on the job status of Brian Cashman and Joe Torre.
According to team sources in Tampa, the son known among Yankee insiders as "Prince Hal" has taken charge in the absence of former general partner Steve Swindal - the estranged husband of George Steinbrenner's daughter Jennifer - and is now evaluating all areas of the operation.
Hal Steinbrenner has enlisted Felix Lopez, the husband of his other sister, Jessica, to serve as his envoy in New York. Lopez will travel to New York at least twice a month to evaluate the club's personnel, both on and off the field. He was in New York as recently as two weeks ago to survey the progress on the Yankees' new stadium.
"Expect to see Felix making periodic visits to New York, and then reporting back to Hal," one source confirmed.
Cashman and Torre, however, are presumed to be on safe ground until Hal Steinbrenner completes a thorough evaluation of the club, despite The Boss' comments last week that Cashman is "on a big hook."
As far back as the mid-'90s, George Steinbrenner has wanted Hal to serve as general partner and has viewed him as No. 1 in the line of succession. But after barely a year of working out of an office at Yankee Stadium in the late '90s, Hal grew weary of his father's constant criticism and retreated back to Tampa, where he has been in charge of the family's hotel operations for the past few years.
Hal Steinbrenner, who has recently gone through a divorce, will remain at his Tampa base, according to sources, in order to stay close to his three young daughters.
While he will make periodic trips to New York, he is expected to maintain a low profile, in direct contrast to his father's style. His friends say that Hal detests dealing with the media - unlike The Boss, who loved sparring with reporters and criticizing players and personnel until health problems curtailed his front and back page appearances.
"But make no mistake," another source said, "Hal has stepped forward here. If nothing else, he's looking after his own interest and filling the power vacuum with the concerns about his dad's health."
Meanwhile, another club source insisted that no front office changes are currently being contemplated. It is doubtful that Hal Steinbrenner, in his newly minted role, is prepared to recommend to his father that Cashman or Torre be fired, especially since there are no suitable replacements for either.
"Right now, Hal is doing what The Boss used to do under these circumstances," one source said, "talking to a lot of people in an effort to form a consensus on what's gone wrong and who should be held accountable."
Hal Steinbrenner's ascension is seen by Steinbrenner watchers in Tampa as a move to consolidate what has long been viewed as a house divided. As he has become more actively involved in the family business, Hal Steinbrenner has been working hand-in-hand with his older brother, Hank, even though the two have never been close. Hank Steinbrenner, who was estranged from the family for a couple of years following what sources say was his own painful divorce, is said to be more savvy about baseball than Hal, whose business acumen is believed to have made him his father's choice to serve as general partner.
It would now appear the odd sibling out is Jennifer Steinbrenner, who is in the process of divorcing Swindal. Jenny, according to friends, has been "devastated" by the divorce and was recently forced to sell her palatial home on exclusive Davis Island in Tampa.
"All this time, Steve was the breadwinner there," a source said. "George will never allow the girls to have any say in the family business, and without a spouse now, Jenny doesn't have a whole lot of influence."
bmadden@nydailynews.com