[Joe Molloy], a vice president, has been with the organization since June, 1988 - about seven months after marrying Jessica Steinbrenner. He has been running the Yankees' minor-league operation from Tampa since 1988, and was promoted to vice president in 1989. He already was scheduled to assume some duties that had been the responsibility of Leonard Kleinman, who was fired recently as chief operating officer. Molloy and Yankees lawyer David Sussman will represent the organization at the owners' meeting tomorrow in Chicago.

If officially chosen by Steinbrenner, Molloy would have to be approved by the entire Yankees partnership. But Steinbrenner and his family control 55 percent of the voting shares. Molloy would have to be given shares in the team to be eligible to become managing partner.