"I'm in Control Here"

The words belonged to Secretary of State Alexander Haig. The situation was the attempted assassination of president Ronald Reagan in 1981. Those same words have been said, in not so many words, by Hank Steinbrenner. With his Dad fading from the spotlight, Hank has lifted his leg and marked his spot, making it clear to his brother Hal and G.M. Brian Cashman just exactly who is in charge of the Yankees.

Cashman wanted more control and George Steinbrenner and company granted it to him. But after another first round exit and a poorly assembled pitching staff, upper management, lead by Hank, has taken control back. As Peter Abraham of the Journal News reported, Cashman has said as much.

“The dynamics are changing with us. When I signed up with this current three-year deal, and this is the last year of it, it was with full authority to run the entire program. George had given me that. But things have changed in this third year now with the emergence of Hal and Hank Steinbrenner and that started this winter,” he said, “I’m learning as I go along, too. But it is different. But one thing is that I’ve been with this family, the Steinbrenner family, for well over 20 years. So I’m focused fully on doing everything I possibly can to assist them in their emergence now as decision makers.”

Cashman's contract is up in October and depending on how things go until then, it could be his last contract with the Yankees.

For Hank, this is something he's been waiting for since the 1980's, when fresh out of college, he worked in the front office. And he's making sure everyone knows he is THE man. Hank hasn't been afraid to speak his mind (sound familiar?), even if he puts his foot in his mouth (sound familiar again?). He plans on attended most home games, watching from the owner's box as his Dad used to before his health started to fail.

As Steve Politi of the Star Ledger reports, Hank feels he's an easy boss to work for, but he does not like losing.

"I mean, I really ... don't ... like ... losing," he said. "I hate it, especially to that team up North. I'm not different than my dad in that way. I'll handle it differently, I think, than he did, but I don't like it. ... We intend to make things right again, the way they have historically been."

It is said he rarely raises his voice (that definitely doesn't sound familiar) and he's not full of the bluster that his Dad is. It remains to be seen if he remains that way.

photo courtesy of NY Daily News

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