Lawsuit Is Disavowed by 14 Yankee Co-Owners

As the battle of New York rages on, it’s getting harder and harder to figure out who is fighting whom.

The Yankees’ limited partners who sued to keep George Steinbrenner in power got no support from other co-owners Friday. Fourteen of the 18 limited partners said they would not join in the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court by part-owners Daniel R. McCarthy and Harold M. Bowman Thursday.

A hearing on their request for a restraining order is scheduled for Monday.

Steinbrenner, who remains under threat of further discipline from Commissioner Fay Vincent, repeated his opposition to the suit. Robert Nederlander, selected to succeed Steinbrenner as general partner, also said he was against it.

However, Steinbrenner’s attorneys continued their attack on Vincent by calling for baseball owners to appoint an independent counsel to conduct “a complete and thorough investigation of the commissioner’s actions.”

Faced with a lawsuit in which the partners are, technically, suing themselves, limited partner Charlotte Witkind observed: “This is like ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ curiouser and curiouser.”

Meanwhile, Steinbrenner told the commissioner’s office that Jack Lawn, former Drug Enforcement Adminstration chief, would take over the team Monday and remain in power until Nederlander or someone else is approved as general partner by league owners.