...on ensuring the Yanks aren't champs again in the near future. Congrats on offering an (In Torre's words) "insulting" contract proposition to someone who, in 12 seasons, won 10 divisions, made the playoffs every year, and won 4 World Series Championships. Everyone knows "The Boss" expects his dollars and spending to bring Championships, but the last 7 years have proved him wrong. The respect he gets from his own players, along with the rest of baseball, is the glue that has held the Yanks together. Lack of that intangible "it" has held them back. I never saw Sheffield, Giambi, or even A-Rod man-up after someone made a bad out, or had a bad game, and slapped them on the butt and said "get 'em next time kid...shake it off". People like Girardi and Brocious, making combined a fraction of the cash any of those three did, gave a good team the "it" to be great.

I know Steinbrenner is running a business, and I know Yanks fans have known since the Billy Martin fiascos that he is a time bomb, but I think it is safe to say that the majority, if not a ridiculous majority of Yanks fans agree this is nothing more than him making a scape goat out of someone who doesn't deserve it. If the Yanks kept up their first half of 2007 and went 70 and 92, sure make an example. But they came back, got the wild card, and almost overtook the Sox. Torre made the best with what he was given, and his roster was given by Cashman. Unless Cashman is just a talking head for The Boss, which I believe he is, he gets the axe.

Sorry Joe. You were right. 4 WS wins in your first 5 seasons set the bar too high. I am a Mets fan and I absolutely hate the Yankees more than anything in this world, but I respect what you did and how you ran your team.

Come on, Joe. Come back to Queens as Willie's dog. You know you wanna!

Oh bullshit. Steinbrenner still offered him the highest pay of any manager in the league. Three years in a row they dropped out of the playoffs in the first round, and for $7 million Steinbrenner wanted more than that. He didn't fire him; and I'll say it again-- he STILL offered him more money than any other manager receives.

Does he not deserve more than any other manager in the game today?
12/12 season in playoffs
10/12 AL East Wins
4/12 World Series. Man, .333 is great even if it is 1/3, but this isn't.

I didn't say he didn't deserve to be offered more. My point was he WAS offered more than any other manager, so it was hardly a "Slap in the face."

It was a slap in the face to cut his pay and give him only a one year deal that was pretty much a, "well win a World Series and maybe we can talk about another contract" contract. He had proven himself already, he deserved another 3+ year deal, or just find someone else. The only way this ends badly for Joe is if they win the World Series next year, which is always possible when you are talking about the Yankees (money).

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"We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home."

The slap in the face was making it a 1 year deal. Nobody in management in any industry wants to work under a 1 year deal unless he is a mercenary with a 1 year plan that management wants implemented . Both sides could have done more but it's water under the bridge now. I am almost more concerned with who the new Yankees pitching coach is going to be as who the next manager will be.

The one year deal was the true slap. It wasn't about the money. Why should Torre put himself thorough this every year? Even shitty coaches on shitty teams get longer deals. Ozzie Guillen, I am talking to you. Joe Torre deserves to be treated with respect, not like some new guy that they are testing out. Big George has been wanting to make a change just to stir things up, and he finally got his wish. He knew Torre wouldn't accept the deal they offered. I am sure either Joe Giradi or Don Mattingly will be their new coach. We'll see which players leave now.

Now that I can agree with.

When it comes to the money itself, it's hard for me to feel sorry for him.

I don't think Posada or Mo will leave. Bottom line is the Yankees will pay them both more than anyone else. A-Rod is a coin toss imo, as a Yankees fan I would rather see his contract money go towards 2 top of the rotation guys but time will tell. I will give him credit for being the catalyst that got the Yankees into the playoffs but at the end of the day pitching still wins championships and the Yankees are not good enough to win it all in that regard. Team has been built to get too the playoffs but not set up too win it all for far too long.

The Yankees spit in the face of their manager yet again, and this time, Torre didn't have to take it. After all he's done for that organization, and the amazing job he did getting them into the playoffs this year, for the Yankees to give him a one-year contract with performance incentives is a fucking joke. I mean, bad enough that it's a one-year deal; but telling a manager who takes a shitty team with a pitching staff that's not much more than a collection of castoffs, relics, and kids who should be in Scranton, and only 3 consistent hitters, and drags them into the playoffs anyway that he hasn't done enough and needs performance bonuses for doing more . . . well, that's sort of like telling your wife that she's gonna have her ass kicked because she put one Baco-bit too few into the salad last night, imo. They wanted him gone, and now he's gone. Now they get to reap what they've sown. This could be interesting, and fun.

Maybe the free agents like Posada and Fruit Bat stay, and maybe they don't. Maybe Slappy stays, and maybe he lets his greedy agent talk him into destroying another franchise with a $300 million contract. The thing you Yankee fans have to worry about is getting a real tight-ass as your new manager. Nothing quite like a dictator wannabe to screw up clubhouse chemistry -- although, of course, I always want to see the Yankees fail, so let's hope you get exactly that. You'll also need a new pitching coach (Leo Mazzone?), and maybe other new coaches, as well, because I can't see many of the former managers who are now Yankees coaches sticking around.

BTW, you know what would be fun? How about if Torre heads to Flushing, and Willie Randolph goes back to the Bronx as Mattingly's bench coach? It's about as likely as Fribur giving up his life of leisure as an oat baron, but it could happen.

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"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."

-- Marcus Tullius Cicero

well, its pretty amazing that with only 3 consistant hitters that they led the majors in every offensive category...

Lets get real for a few minutes here...he's had arguably the most talented team in baseball year after year, and in the last few years he hasn't been able to get them to the final series, including one of the most egregious chokes (as some would say) in baseball history. He has to be given blame for some of that if he gets credit for winning the earlier world series.

The next manager could be a freakin' bobblehead doll and get them to the playoffs again.

Money can buy talent, but if that talent doesn't work together, you're hosed. Look at Yankees history for a good example. They had good teams for at least part of the '80s, too, and where did that get them? A trip to the Series in '81, notoriety for Dave "Mr. May" Winfield, respect for Mattingly as their best player since Jax in his prime, and not much else. For that matter, they were a shit team this year, for all the alleged talent on that team, yet they didn't really play together until after the All-Star break. Some of that may be because Joba "the Hutt" (or, more appropriately, Joba the Hogan? Joba the Wigwam?) came to the rescue, but a lot of the credit has to go to Torre for not panicking when they were 14.5 games out. That's what Torre did for them for 12 years: he kept the Yankees on an even keel, which is hard to do when you play in a city like New York, for an owner like Steinbrenner, in front of fans like the ones you find in The Bronx. They may find someone else to be the manager, but they won't be able to find someone who'll really replace Torre.

_________________
"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."

-- Marcus Tullius Cicero

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/w ... index.html

Very interesting read.

Yes . . . yes . . . YES! I suppose I am suppose to dance about and laugh, but to take this seriously, I do not blame Joe Torre. I have heard complaints about his managing, that "anyone" could have won with the young MFYs during the "Dysentery" [Stop that!--Ed.] period, but still, he held together a team of prima donas, survived the NY media, and, more importantly, survived the Evil Emperor.

I book on the RS-MFY--Tale of Two Cities--written by a Boston and NY writer, gives some insights into the success of Torre. Apparently, Steinbrenner was an assistant coach of some college or junior college football team, and has had it in his mind that "we need plays!" He would call meetings to discuss "plays" and "strategy."

Now, certainly, there is "strategy" to baseball, but it is not like the pitcher can fake a pitch or some such nonsense. Whereas, according to Harper, previous managers would go progressively nuts dealing with Emperor George's meddling, Torre would let is just pass over him.

Now this final insult was the "threat" to not renew his contract if the MFYs lost to the Indians--a clearly better team. Oh, THAT will get them to win! Like Joe was holding back some brilliant ideas or something. Jeter, A-Fraud, Posada, and the rest will suddenly hit? So now Torre is going to play a season under such a knife? Remember, the MFYs were "done" early in the year, yet made the playoffs. Torre must have sucked, right George? How many teams come back from 14 1/2 to make the playoffs? How many teams spend about $25 on a bloated has-been who never pitched well in the playoffs--no he never did, damn it!--money that could have been better spent elsewhere? Heck, Emperor George was PISSED the Red Sox got Eric "Gagme" Gagne!! Imagine if he had his way and got him to pitch relief!

Did Cashman have to take a pay-cut? The Steinbrenner brood? Anyone else? What about Jeter, A-Fraud, and the rest who did not produce? That is not a slap on them--it is not like they did not WANT to produce. They face a better team. A team that almost buried the Red Sox, frankly.

Will he get a better manager in the sense of one who can handle the crushing press and him? I do not think so.

So all rivalry aside, I share the words of St. Curt and Tito that Torre was treated very disrespectfully.

Think Wedge is getting fired? Think Tito would be fired if the RS lost?

I suppose I should be "happy," but I am never happy about someone being mistreated in such a fashion.

--J.D.

Okay . . . Bloaty McBloat may have been worth $25, but he got paid about $24 million.



--J.D.

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Not to totally "necro," but now Joe is the Dodgers manager. After the WS, Tito Francona was asked about how Torre was treated and all of that. Sorry, I do not have a linkypoo to the interview. To my recollection, Tito stated that one benefit is he could talk to Torre as a friend. He explained they were friends, would like to talk about games and the like, but the ferocious "RS-MFY Rivalry" just made it impossible. "Torre was seen talking to Francona!!!!"

--J.D.

If I remember correctly Torre had a coupple of pretty ( below) average stinks as manager (Mets, Atlana and St Louis) before he became the Yankees "skipper" ( man I hate boating terms). If he takes over the Dodgers and they are completely average for a few years under him can we agree that he is an average manager?

No