Steinbrenner Is Trying to Regain Control : Baseball: A year after being removed from daily operations by Commissioner Fay Vincent, Yankee owner is intent on returning to head the club.

NEW YORK —  Nearly one year has elapsed since Fay Vincent removed George Steinbrenner’s hands from the Yankees. Steinbrenner has not stopped waving them since. The Boss may be out of sight, and maybe even out of mind, but he remains driven in his attempt to recapture control of the Yankees.

Some things just never change.

Step by step, Steinbrenner is trying to climb back. He’s working different angles, piecing together a case he hopes will return him to power. He claims the backing of other baseball owners, though there is no proof of that. On the legal front, Steinbrenner unsuccessfully challenged Vincent’s findings by suing the company that transcribed the lengthy conversations he and others had with the commissioner.

And Steinbrenner continues to challenge Vincent’s interpretation of the agreement both signed July 30, a document that effectively ended Steinbrenner’s reign over every important aspect of control. He remains adamant in his denial of any wrongdoing and his will to return. Talk has cooled of his sons becoming involved. Steinbrenner said Hank, his eldest son, still is not interested and Hal, who recently graduated from Williams College, has not joined the organization. Hal is believed to be years away from the top.

Asked if he is resigned to never again running the Yankees, Steinbrenner said, “Absolutely not.”

But Steinbrenner’s optimism is not evident in his household. Steinbrenner’s wife, Joan, says Vincent’s restrictions have created a state of depression that still hangs over the family one year later.

“We don’t watch any games, you know,” she said from Tampa. “We can’t find out about anything, therefore we don’t know anything. We don’t talk about it. It’s better not to bring it up around here, so nobody does.”

Steinbrenner still holds onto his version of what went down that brought him down. He still believes Vincent and investigator John Dowd were out to get him. Steinbrenner still contends the extortion conviction of Howard Spira, the gambler who got $40,000 from Steinbrenner for providing dirt on Dave Winfield, should have exonerated him on all fronts.

He still believes he did nothing wrong.

“I think the Spira trial did a great deal for me and my family. A jury of my peers believed me,” Steinbrenner said. “The commissioner can say all he wants like, ‘I don’t care what this trial says.’ If it had been the other way he would have cared, believe me. I’ve been completely exonerated.”

Steinbrenner’s relationship with Vincent remains tenuous. Vincent said the two have not spoken since the ruling and Steinbrenner has not asked for a meeting. Under Vincent’s directive, Steinbrenner cannot sit in his owner’s box at a game. But Steinbrenner does not want to enter the Stadium through the back door; he wants his kingdom back.

Steinbrenner said he has not attended any games this season. “If I wanted to, I would go. I know he made the statement that I couldn’t go without his permission, but that’s a lie. I’m allowed to go any time I want.” Under the terms of the agreement, Steinbrenner is permitted to attend major-league games, but is allowed access only to those places where fans are permitted.

As for Steinbrenner returning to baseball, Vincent said: “Mr. Steinbrenner has the right to apply for reinstatement. If and when he were to ask for that, I would be prepared to evaluate it. I would never say never.”

While it seems possible certain portions of the agreement could be clarified, Vincent said the overall document stands. “We signed an agreement ... It doesn’t have a duration, no deadline, (but) I can’t change it any more than he can.”

Vincent also makes it clear that negative comments aimed at his office will not help Steinbrenner’s case. “If Mr. Steinbrenner were interested in coming back into baseball, that sort of conduct would not be forthcoming.”

In this, the first full year without The Boss, the team has embarked on an un-Steinbrenneresque youth movement that not only has the Yankees winning, but has created excitement. And the man who repeatedly said New Yorkers would never tolerate a rebuilding team now wants credit for the team’s improved play.

“What do they think, all these young players just came into town on a load of pumpkins?” said Steinbrenner, whose veteran-laden team was 39-61 at the time of Vincent’s ruling on its way to a 67-95 last-place finish. “There were certain people who said Steinbrenner’s to blame for everything, fine. Then the team turns around and is an exciting team and I should get the credit, too.

“In my heart this is still my ballclub. Hey, as long as you got control of the ballclub and you’re the principal owner, it’s your ballclub.”

Steinbrenner insists the general public is on his side. “The people of New York have been tremendous,” he said. “I was there walking the streets, not one bad word. Everybody said, ‘We need you back.’ The public is becoming more aware. This thing isn’t going to go away.”

Steinbrenner has tried to stay busy with other matters. A U.S. Olympic Committee vice president since 1985, he was appointed to the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games last week. But he misses the Yankees. For him, it’s like owning a beautiful car and not being allowed to drive it.

“I’ve made some significant changes at American Shipbuilding, I’ve been busy with the Olympic Committee and several other things,” he said. “But I’m still the principal owner of the Yankees.

“I’m not happy with the way things developed in baseball and what my family and myself went through. But you don’t look back, you look forward. In the end, truth will always win out.”

What is his next step? “There is more coming, I’m sure,” he said. “I’m just going to leave it at that. What is out is not nearly the story.”

Does he expect to return? “You can never tell,” he said. “Stranger things have happened.”