New York Yankees: Maybe It Is Time for the Steinbrenners to Sell

Yankee fans probably know by now that the son of George shot down reports in the New York Daily News earlier this week that the Yankees were for sale.

Managing partner Hal Steinbrenner, who now runs the most famous franchise in American sports with brother Hank, called the report "complete fiction."

He said he expected his family to own the Yankees for years to come.

Perhaps the Daily News doesn't have a reliable source but I don't think that's the case. For all we know someone in the Yankees organization leaked it to see what the reaction would be.

Or perhaps the topic was broached at a meeting of the Yankee higher-ups who were speculating what the franchise would get given the $2.15 billion that a group led by Magic Johnson paid to purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Now, as an old Brooklyn Dodger fan I know the Boys of Summer are also one of the iconic sports teams. They are not, however, the Yankees. A story that ran in USA Today quoted experts saying the Yankees may be worth around $4 billion.

That is a staggering amount given that it was only in March that Forbes named the Yankees the most valuable Major League Baseball franchise, worth $1.85 billion.

Obviously the sale of the Dodgers is a game-changer and a primary reason why the Steinbrenner family might actually contemplate selling the team for what amounts to all the money in the world.

First, there is no replacing George Steinbrenner, the tyrannical Boss who micro-managed the Yankees back to prominence when he bought the franchise from CBS for $10 million in 1973.

George Steinbrenner brought about the free-spending ways of sports owners, paying lavishly for free agents and then demanding they earn every dime he paid them.

Imagine what he would be saying about the 2012 Yankees?

Neither of George's sons can ever hope to emulate their bombastic father, although my feeling is that Hank Steinbrenner might try.

Hal, however, is managing partner and appears to be the voice of the family. And perhaps he would be more inclined to end the Steinbrenner era and sell for a price he probably never imagined.

Nothing is forever and the Steinbrenners know that when their father bought the team, it was no longer the powerhouse it had been in the 1950s and early '60s. With an aging roster and saddled with a huge payroll that will be difficult to trim, it is conceivable that the Yankees will have a few lean years in the near future.

Why not get out and let another ego-maniac have the stage.

The problem is who can afford $3-4 billion? It might take a village, as the saying goes.

But there has to be a front man and there are some candidates who might not be able to resist.

Here are a few: 

Give That Cuban a Cigar

If the Brooklyn Bridge were for sale we'd have to include Mark Cuban as one of the prospective buyers.

The owner of the Dallas Mavericks has all the outlandish qualities to become the next Boss of the Yankees. He has the money and the desire for the spotlight, and he'll spend Steinbrennian amounts to keep the Yankees on top.

Unlike the NBA, there is no salary cap in baseball and Cuban isn't going to worry about luxury taxes.

He made unsuccessful bids to buy the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers, so perhaps the third time would be a charm. 

We can even envision Cuban pulling a Ted Turner and managing the Yankees for a game.

According to Forbes Cuban is worth about $2.3 billion and he's not going to plunk it all down on the Yankees. There will be other investors, although make no mistake, Cuban would be calling the shots.

Would Yankee Stadium Be the Next Trump Tower?

Yankee Stadium might not be big enough to hold Donald Trump's ego.

The Donald has his own TV show The Apprentice.

He briefly wanted to run for president.

Then he wanted to be a presidential kingmaker.

What does all this mean? Trump is not content to sit and count his money, estimated at $2.9 billion by Forbes. He is a publicity hog and the Yankees would be just another vehicle to promote the Trump brand.

Of course, he has stock in two Atlantic City casinos that have his name so how would that sit with major league owners?

The Dolan Effect

From the basketball mecca known as Madison Square Garden, is it such a stretch to project the Dolan family acquiring the Yankees and the YES Network?

Charles Dolan is the patriarch of the family that runs the Cablevision empire, valued by Forbes at $2.6 billion.

If the Dolans purchased the Yankees the hope is that Charles will be in charge and not his son, James, who has managed to make the New York Knicks basically irrelevant for a dozen years.

You have to give James credit for making big splashes, however, as if he studied at the knee of George Steinbrenner.

How else do you explain Isiah Thomas, Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and the rest of the failed decisions the Knicks have made during his tenure.

This is not a move we would welcome with open arms.

Would Mayor Bloomberg Enter the Race?

Bidding for the Yankees could become a mayoral race. Michael Bloomberg is finishing his third and final term as mayor of New York City and might be looking for a new challenge.

According to Forbes, Bloomberg is worth $19.5 billion, so buying the Yankees would be chump change.

There is no indication that Bloomberg is interested in any new ventures after trying to govern the Big Apple, but he is also more apt to hire good baseball people to run the team and stay out of the limelight himself.

It wouldn't hurt to ask if the Steinbrenner family puts the franchise up for sale.

Rudy the Sequel

There may be no bigger Yankee fan than Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor and presidential candidate. Giuliani doesn't even pretend to care how the Mets are faring; he is a Yankee through and through.

Giuliani would need major investors to chip in to buy his favorite team, as he isn't worth quite as much as the other prospective owners on this list

Given his connections that might not be so far-fetched. 

How involved would Giuliani be? That's the million dollar question. Is he just a super fan or would he be on the phone to his general manager orchestrating trades and to his manager suggesting lineup changes?

The People's Choice

Did you note how Google went public and offered shares to any Tom, Dick or Kimberly who wanted to invest in the mega search engine?

Well, why not have the Steinbrenners go public and offer shares to Yankee fans around the country?

The Green Bay Packers are a publicly owned team in the NFL; do you think it would be difficult getting Yankee fans to spend all of their 401k money and kids' college tuition on the Bronx Bombers?

Given that some fans probably spend more time agonizing over each defeat than the Steinbrenners do, we think that selling stock in the Yankees would take the burden off those poor rich people and give fans a chance to own a piece of the action, even a token piece.

The Yankees' board of directors would have to hold their shareholder's meetings at Yankee Stadium.