Hank: "We just have to f***Ing win"

From Kevin Kernan:

Hank Steinbrenner, the Yankees co-chairman, is fired up for the 2011 season -- even without Cliff Lee in pinstripes.

"We will do what we have to do to win," Steinbrenner told The Post recently in a wide-ranging interview at Steinbrenner Field. "We have the highest payroll and the reason is we are committed to our fans to win.

"We just have to (bleeping) win," Hank added emphatically, looking out onto the field and sounding much like his father.

...

"I'm really happy with our bullpen," Hank said. "You got both Rivera and Soriano, then you got Chamberlain and [David] Robertson and so forth. I think Chamberlain is going to come back and have a big year."

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"The fans pay the bills, we owe it to ourselves and to them to put the best product out there," Hank said. "If we couldn't get Cliff Lee, I'm really happy about getting Soriano. I just wish Lee would have given Brian the chance to meet with him, but [Lee] was on a hunting trip. He's got his own reasons."

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"Hopefully our starters will get the job done," he said. "Hopefully Andy [Pettitte] will come back. He knows we want him back. It's strictly up to him now. Even though he's already got five rings, he's the type, like Mo, like [Derek] Jeter, like [Jorge] Posada, he wants another one.

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"We got those kids coming too, [Ivan] Nova more as a starter, and the others [including big right-hander Dellin Betances and lefty Manny Banuelos]. You never know, one or two of them may join the team," Steinbrenner said. "I know some of our baseball people don't agree with our other baseball people a lot of the time, but they all like Nova.

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"I think A.J. [Burnett] is going to come back and have at least the kind of year like he had two years ago. CC Sabathia is going to be great as usual. Phil Hughes, we're expecting more big things.

"I say we have one of the top four teams in baseball, whether we end up being the best or not, we'll see."

Hank, who apparently couldn't stop talking, had a lot more to say. He spoke about how the AL East remains the best division in baseball, A.J. Burnett, the lineup, and Alex Rodriguez.