Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Joe Torre Staying

But does it even matter? After six straight playoff failures, does anyone really think that Torre's presence (or not) will make the difference?

9 comments:

TBender said...

Memo to Dan (and the media):
The Yankees next game is April 2007.

I know this is a shock to all of lot media-types, but Detroit and Oakland play tonight. I hope people watch because this could be a really good series.

Brian in Oxford said...

Let's try to imagine you're in the Yankees clubhouse.

If you're an ancient veteran, you know that Torre's not exactly going to light a fire under you.

If you're a mid-career guy, Torre's kind of a "ship has sailed" type....you know he USED to manage WS winners, but what lately? You've seen the team come up short year after year.

If you're a rookie, you're probably too intimidated by the resume, and will gladly go along with whatever he says.

Okay, I'm oversimplifying things a bit....but in this case, it's pretty much a whole lot of complacency.

(Honestly, the "old George" would have fired Torre after the '04 choke....and let's face it, if Joe could survive THAT, well what the heck WOULD have to happen for him not to be fired, at this point?)

CorrND said...

Personally, I'm a huge Yankees fan and a huge Torre fan, but I have to say I'm disappointed that he's coming back. Not that I feel that he's the problem, I'm just not sure that keeping him is a solution. Hell, I don't think Piniella necessarily was a solution either, but I'm going with the "sometimes change for the sake of change is good" theory.

Oh well, everyone knows pitching is the real problem anyway. Maybe this will keep the focus going into the offseason.

ToddTheJackass said...

It's still Steinbrenner. He could wake up tomorrow, change his mind, and fire him. Wouldn't shock me anymore.

FreKy J said...

I will say that Steinbrenner over the last few years has displayed a sense of sleeping on a brash decision before doing something stupid.

Unknown said...

OK here's the thing

why would u fire torre?

we all know torre is a bad manager, but if he was gonna b fired for bein a bad manager it woulda bin in the post-2004 ALCS.

BTW im not makin up this next thing

joe torre once (2 years ago) switched his lineup and had this: Bernie Williiams: CF and Kenny Lofton: DH

every1 knows that bernie is as good in center as steven hawking and that lofton is above average and its not playing lofton over bernie, if he played bernie instead no1 would have cared. it was playin both and havin bernie in cf and lofton dh

when asked by a reporter what the hell this was about torre said that bernie hits better when he fields.....um right

and torre puts arod 8th?!?!? i mean if the guy thinks he stinks and there4 cant hit drop him to the 8 spot thatll help

benching sheff (righty) game 3 against rodgers (lefty) and giambi (lefty) game 4 against bonderman (righty)? i mean thats like some mistake most high school coaches don't make

the bottom line is that managers dont havta do much (unless ur in the NL and u gotta pull that tricky double switch) and what he does havta do he screws up and he has the best players

so if u dont fire him now what on earth gets this guy fired? does he havta drive around the parking lot with a world series trophy hanging from his bumper?

Anonymous said...

@guyinthecorner

One more time...Torre doesn't pitch.

Part of me hopes the Tigers sweep the A's and the Mets so everyone can just shut up about the Yanks.

Managers/Coaches get too little credit when things go right and too much blame when they go wrong. I think I remember last season that there were calls for Cowher to be fired, how'd that work out?

Is Leyland a genius now that he's not in Colorado? Somehow he forgot what he knew to get the WS for the Marlins in 97, and remembered ten years later?

Please.

Players are on the field getting the biggest checks to perform. It is time for SNL to bring back the "Steinbrenner Health Watch"

A lot of hitters do better when they are in the field. Anyone who plays golf knows someone that plays much better when they walk 18 then when they ride in a cart. It took Giambi a full season to transition into the DH role. Not everyone is Edgar Martinez.

Bernie has 4 gold gloves, just like Lofton. Know who's streak of Gold Gloves started in 1997 when Lofton's stopped? Ask Torri Hunter how hard playing CF is in your home stadium, and if it's a good idea to have someone out there who is used to the backdrop in the playoffs.

Yeah Torre is a horrible manager, that's why he's a 2-time manager of the year, and the case can be made for him winning it THIS year.

Say what you want about the Yanks but I'm glad I'm not a Cubs fan. At least I know what post-season baseball is, and they've already won multiple WS's in my lifetime.

Shums said...

Decent points, guyinthecorner, but would it kill you to take the effort to type "you"?

Btu really, corrnd said it best -- pitching is the Yanks' problem, not Torre.

Fortunately, I expect this to be the last bit of Yankee news I have to listen to for a while.

MP said...

As much as I would like to believe that Torre staying has everything to do with Gene Wojo's article on espn.com about how the Boss is the one truly at fault for the Yankees failures, I know better.

The Boss can't change his stripes.

My guess: despite Cashman's promise, Steinbrenner is blaming A-Rod for everything, and is eagerly pushing Cashman behind the scenes to deal him for the lowest price possible.

If not, maybe George also sees that his pitching is catching up to HIM in age, and he's going to try to steal some of the Tigers' young hands. That would be the Boss, all right.

I hate the Boss.