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Hank's presence a little overstated so far

Ken Davidoff

July 20, 2008

The All-Star Game has passed, and the non-waivers trade deadline is rushing toward us. Let's do a lightning-round style Insider this week:

The word is that Hank Steinbrenner missed the All-Star festivities because he's in the middle of moving into a new house in the Tampa area, and because he was spending time with his children.

We can't really crush him over that, right? But how can we overlook the fact that the elder Steinbrenner son has been to precisely three games this year - the first three games of the season - when he speaks out so regularly and so brashly?

Hank clearly can talk the talk. But can he walk the walk? It's his younger brother Hal who makes the near-weekly commute from Tampa to New York, and who is much more tapped in to the Yankees' moves and philosophies.

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Hank Steinbrenner didn't return a call made to him for this story. Howard Rubenstein, the hardworking spokesman for the Steinbrenner family, said of Hank, "He's very involved, although I have no knowledge of how many games he's been to."

Ultimately, this is going to fall on us, in the media. It took us eons to come to terms with the fact that George Steinbrenner was no longer the tyrannical Boss. Now, we've got to acknowledge that Hank, as entertaining as he can be, is not that figure, either. Not yet, at least.

Speaking of Steinbrenner family high jinks, the Tampa-based Yankees employees were amused that Felix Lopez, the husband of younger daughter Jessica Steinbrenner, waved at fans as he rode in George Steinbrenner's golf cart before the All-Star Game. "Who was he waving to?" was the question of the day at Legends Field and the Yankees' minor-league complex. "Nobody in New York City knows who he is!"

Of course, Lopez is also the guy who, during spring training, would drive his car out of the players' lot at Legends and sign autographs for fans who didn't know him, either.

There still hasn't been much interest expressed in Cincinnati's Adam Dunn, but you've got to figure some club will bite on him. He'd make sense as Hideki Matsui's replacement with the Yankees.

Another well-played trade season by the Athletics, who are stockpiling their farm system with the deals of Rich Harden (to the Cubs) and Joe Blanton (to Philadelphia). Clearly, Huston Street can be had for the right package.

It's time for some more of Billy Beane's deputies to get opportunities elsewhere. Assistant general manager David Forst will likely replace Beane when Beane hands off his GM title in the next year or two. But Billy Owens, the A's director of player personnel, also should be in the mix. Seattle should consider him for its opening. Here's a scout from an AL team, on the Phillies' farm system: "After trading three 'prospects' [to Oakland], the Phillies now officially have fewer prospects than the University of Miami. Man, they're brutal!"

Hank Aaron, on whether he's at peace with the fact that he's no longer the home run king: "I've been at peace with it for a long time. Barry [Bonds] passed me. Records were made to be broken.

"That's it. I had it for [33] years, and that's long enough."

When the Mets lost Friday night, it ended a most interesting streak for rookie Argenis Reyes. His first 10 big-league games had been victories for his team, matching, in recent times, identical runs put together by Florida's Taylor Tankersley in 2006 and Houston's Willy Taveras in 2004. In 2003, Arizona's Jose Valverde began his career by appearing in 16 straight Diamondbacks wins.