Team president York drives 49ers’ strategy

By Tim Kawakami

San Jose Mercury News

SAN JOSE, Calif.

The San Francisco 49ers whole-heartedly believe in Mike Singletary for many reasons, but most importantly because team president Jed York believes in him.

The 49ers have hitched themselves to Alex Smith for a few logical reasons, but mostly because York has decided to do the hitching.

The 49ers entrusted full faith in new executive vice president Trent Baalke for several announced reasons, but mostly because York wants it that way.

The 49ers put everything on the line in the Santa Clara stadium ballot for huge financial reasons, but also because York has attached himself to that effort for years.

When you tally it up, as his management tenure comes into full bloom, the 49ers’ 2010 big picture: York is committed to York’s ideas, solutions and way of doing business.

York believes in York.

It’s the same way Dallas owner Jerry Jones believes in Jerry Jones and the Raiders’ Al Davis believes in Al Davis. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not, but it’s always very clear.

All 49ers power now flows through one man.

“Obviously, I will have final say on what our team looks like in terms of who’s on the staff, who’s not,” York said last month while announcing that he’d promoted Baalke.

When you think it through, that makes York, 29, the 49ers’ CEO, unofficial general manager, corporate strategist and benevolent dictator.

He’s an updated and combined version of his uncle Eddie DeBartolo and right-hand man Carmen Policy, though York is multiple Super Bowls short of their 49ers dynasty.

And he doesn’t have Bill Walsh, either.

Still, if York’s vision clicks into place, the 49ers will be a model franchise once again, and York will turn into a rightful league and local kingpin.

If it does not, nobody will need to search far and wide to assign blame.

This is not to say that one-man rule is necessarily a problem. It’s better to have a clear line of authority than to have day-to-day ambiguity.

But there are two ways to run a sports dictatorship: You can surround yourself with seasoned lieutenants empowered to question decisions, or you do it the way York is currently doing it.

By circumstance and decree, York has kept his retinue limited to those who owe their careers to him.

Singletary is a singular man and motivator, but he had never been a coordinator — and certainly not a talent evaluator — before he was made the 49ers’ interim head coach.

Then York gave Singletary control of the 53-man roster when he hired Singletary for the full-time job in January 2009.

Smith has never had a winning record as a starting quarterback, and in fact, has lost every summer competition for the No. 1 spot in his 49ers career.

Interestingly, when the 49ers tried to sign Kurt Warner two offseasons ago, it was at the direction of York. But when they decided to pass on a chance to trade for Donovan McNabb, it was York who signed off on the decision.

Now, the 49ers say they back Smith 100 percent. Based on “. . . what? On York’s commitment to what he saw out of Smith in the last three months of 2009.

Baalke had never interviewed for a top personnel post before getting the promotion to VP, filling many of the duties of ousted GM Scot McCloughan.

All power flows through York. Success will come inevitably, presuming York is at least half as smart as he thinks he is.