The Future's so Bright, Hal Wears Shades

Barry Bloom of MLB.com recently sat down with the understated Steinbrenner boy, Hal, to discuss the new stadium and the future of the team. Though the Yankees last home game will be September 21 against the Baltimore Orioles, plans are in the works for a Stadium send off in November.

"There's going to be things at the actual game, but we're also looking to have a closing ceremony in November," said the 39-year-old youngest son of George Steinbrenner, the team's patriarch and principal owner since 1973. "We're strongly considering it and it will be a very nice event.

"We're working on it right now. We're talking to people and some big names in terms of what they want to do. And it may be music, it may be a comedian, it may be an emcee (can you say Billy Crystal?). There will certainly be a lot of videos and things like that. And, of course, bringing back the old Yankees. That's something we've always done."

Hank discussed his current responsibilities...

"My job, my responsibility to the family, to the partners, to the banks and bondholders is to consider the financial aspect of it," he said. "But make no mistake, this season is no different than any other. We all felt going into this year, and we all feel now that we have a championship-caliber team and we are excited about it."

About the growing concern for pricing out fans:

• To waylay any misconception, Steinbrenner said that going to the new ballpark will be affordable for the typical fan. He expects approximately 35 percent of the 53,000 seats to be priced at $25 or less, 50 percent at $45 or less and 80 percent at $100 or less.

"I see in the papers all the time about the 180 Legends Seats that are so expensive," he said. "But they don't talk about the fact that half of the seats in the stadium are $45 or less; that the entire top level is $20-$25 seats, and the bleacher seats are $12. We wanted to make sure that the average family can afford to go there and that's the way it's going to be."

On Revenue Sharing:

"My concern with revenue sharing from day one was that it would not be used in the way it was supposed to be used. The teams were supposed to take every cent they got and reinvest it in their payroll or their farm system. That's always been my problem with it. But now it's at least getting better."

And of course what would an interview be without discussing his own "Big Papi":

"He comes in just about every day, probably four days a week. Sometimes he comes in later than others, but he's in here all the time," Steinbrenner said. "We'll try to get him up there for the All-Star Game. Certainly, he's slowed down, that's no surprise, but I guess he's earned it. It's just his age. It's been an interesting year or two. He's really started to do what he has said for many years that he was going to do, which has been leaving it to the family."

Click here to read the entire interview.