Steve Swindal still pulling for Yankees

Jim Baumbach

2:30 PM EDT, May 14, 2008

Steve Swindal, the one-time successor to George Steinbrenner, now spends his days running a marine towing company in Tampa, Fla., a job that he described as "certainly less stressful" than his old position as a Yankees general partner.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the Yankees bought out his contract last summer, Swindal said he feels no ill will toward the organization run by his former father-in-law.

"I follow them every day," Swindal said by phone Wednesday. "I still feel a part of it. And I only wish them the best. Obviously they've had some injuries. They have a good complement of people. I'm always going to be pulling for them."

Long before Hank and Hal Steinbrenner became daily fixtures around the Yankees, Swindal was the family member who was responsible for the day-to-day operations.

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Then during the 2005 season George Steinbrenner casually announced after a Yankee Stadium news conference that Swindal would take over for him.

But Swindal was arrested in February, 2007 on suspicion of driving under the influence and a little more than a month later Jenny Steinbrenner Swindal filed for divorce -- a move that effectively eliminated Swindal from the Yankee family.

Swindal showed no remorse when asked how he feels about being the one-time successor to the Yankees throne, saying, "I think life is full of changes and you've got to be adaptable and look at all the good things that happened. I had a great experience, and I have one in this career as well."

Swindal worked in the marine towing business before joining the Yankees, and he sold his company in 1997. But his former associates formed Marine Towing of Tampa, which he became a part of several years ago on a limited basis while still with the Yankees and is now chairman. So it was a logical move when he increased his involvement with the company after the Yankees bought him out. "This is my full-time occupation," he said.

Even though he has no official ties anymore to the Yankees, it's clear he hasn't forgotten his time in baseball. He said he even attended a spring training game as a fan last March.

He repeatedly insisted he's got nothing but good feelings toward his old team. If he feels otherwise, he sure hid it well.

"Honestly, I wish them the best," Swindal said. "I'll always be pulling for them, and I'd rather just leave it at that."