SIDELINES : Steinbrenner Meeting Delayed; Interim Vacancy at Top Seen

A meeting scheduled Wednesday between George Steinbrenner and his 18 limited partners has been postponed until next week due to an emergency family matter involving one of the partners. They are expected to approve his son, Hank Steinbrenner, as general partner at the meeting.

The delay all but assures that the New York Yankees will operate without a full-time general partner for an interim period after George Steinbrenner resigns by Aug. 20. Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, chairman of baseball’s Ownership Committee, said his group will not begin to examine Hank Steinbrenner’s suitability as general partner until after the Yankees partners vote.

Leonard Kleinman, chief operating officer of the Yankees, said the club has not addressed how it will be run if Hank Steinbrenner is not approved by the time George Steinbrenner must step down.

“That’s a good question,” Kleinman said. “Nobody has discussed it at this time. There have been a number of things that have been addressed, but that is not one of them.”

Commissioner Fay Vincent has said he will not postpone George Steinbrenner’s sanctions. He has said he assumes the Yankees’ “senior officers” will run the club on an interim basis.