End of an Era

George Steinbrenner has officially stepped down as the head of the New York Yankees and has handed off control of the team to his son Hal.

The Yankees have named Hal Steinbrenner as their control person, making it eminently clear that it is Hal Steinbrenner, and not his older, more verbose brother Hank, who plays the greater role in the team's operations.

Hal Steinbrenner replaces his father, George Steinbrenner, as the person appointed to speak with commissioner Bud Selig for all relevant matters. Selig made the announcement today following the quarterly owners' meetings, at Major League Baseball's Manhattan office.

"It was unanimous [approval]," Selig said. "Hal comes to New York every week and has been very involved."

"I appreciate the confidence that commissioner Selig and the other owners have in me," Hal Steinbrenner said. "My dad left big shoes to fill, but I'm going to do my best.

While Hank Steinbrenner is the one who sports reporters love to cover because of his colorful antics that remind some of George in his younger days, Hal is the one who will be running the multibillion dollar company and leading the opening of the new Yankee Stadium in April 2009.