"Terry Francona called Joe Torre but phone was off."--AP

""The only thing that's been decided, that we all agree on, is that (Joba) Chamberlain and (Phil) Hughes start out spring training as starters," Hank Steinbrenner said. "Our pitching has got to be better next year, the starting rotation."

George Steinbrenner, now 77, had increasingly sought input from his sons.

"That's just part of the natural process," Hank Steinbrenner said. "Myself and my brother will be the general partners and will be running the team (someday). We'll be his successors. That's what it really comes down to."

• Yankees players and people throughout baseball have spoken out on behalf of Torre, who has managed New York to 12 straight postseason appearances. Steinbrenner is frustrated his team hasn't won the World Series since 2000.

"It's not about being the smartest baseball man anymore," Boston pitcher Curt Schilling said. "It has to do with people skills, especially when you play in these markets. When you play in Boston and New York, you deal with things that no one else has to deal with."

• Red Sox manager Terry Francona called Torre.

"Understandably, his phone was off," Francona said. "I don't blame him.""

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"AP freelance writer Mark Didtler in Tampa, Fla., contributed to this report."

"Yankees President Says No Decision Yet on Torre," published on sportingnews.com

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