Yankees likely to remain in Steinbrenner family

All indications are the Yankees will remain in the Steinbrenner family for the foreseeable future. A person familiar with the family's thinking said Tuesday that the Steinbrenners' intention is to retain the team, with Hal Steinbrenner in charge as the managing general partner, his role since November 2008.

There had been speculation in recent years that when George Steinbrenner died, the family might look to sell. Such talk increased in 2007 when George Steinbrenner relinquished control to sons Hal and Hank - allowing, in his words, "the young elephants into the tent."

In 2007 and into 2008, there were questions about who was in charge. Hank Steinbrenner, now 53, established himself as a "Baby Boss" of sorts with some flamboyant comments that sparked back-page headlines in the tabloids. But Hal, 40, has been the unquestioned leader of the franchise since November 2008, when MLB accepted him as the controlling partner.

Commissioner Bud Selig said, "I like Hal a lot. I've known him since he was a kid. Thoughtful. Smart. And really into it. I've been very impressed. Very impressed. We'll talk on occasion. There's no question that he has a commitment. And I have been impressed by his ability.''

The Yankees won the 2009 World Series, have mostly looked like a well-oiled machine and have given no reason for anyone to think that won't continue. General manager Brian Cashman has autonomy over baseball operations and Hal appears to have come to embrace his role. "He seems to enjoy it," one source said. "He's grown into it."

Hal, in an interview with Newsday in March 2008, said of the selling-the-team issue: "There's no plans to sell. None. No chance of selling."

A third-generation Steinbrenner has even expressed interest in being involved down the road. Robert Molloy, the 18-year-old son of George's daughter Jessica, took part in a charity event June 15 in the Bronx. "I do want to be like my granddad," he told Newsday.

Any role for him, of course, is years off. Yankees fans are more concerned with the immediate future, one that the owner of the rival Red Sox said is bright.

John Henry, a former minority owner of the Yankees, recently told Newsday that Yankees fans should feel secure in Hal's stewardship but shouldn't expect someone like The Boss.

"Hal is his own person," Henry said. "He shouldn't be compared to anyone. He's extremely bright, focused and easily able to distinguish between what is important and what is not. He doesn't shoot from the hip. He gathers facts, carefully weighs decisions and is a quiet but very strong leader. The Yankees are in excellent hands."

Steinbrenner's death came during an unplanned yearlong gap in the estate tax, the first since it was enacted in 1916. Political wrangling has stalemated efforts in Congress to replace the tax, which expired in 2009.

Forbes magazine has estimated Steinbrenner's estate at $1.1 billion. If Steinbrenner had died last year, his estate could have faced federal taxes of almost $500 million, depending on how the estate was structured.

With Ken Davidoff, Jim Baumbach

and The Associated Press