So totally imploding and missing the playoffs would be good? It could happen. In '01 the Red Sox were just 5 games out of the division and 2 out of the wildcard when they fired Jimy Williams and let Joe Kerrigan take over. They went 17-26 the rest of the way and finished 13.5 out in the division and 19.5 out in the wildcard. The manager can make a huge difference.
Actually, it happened last year too, didn't it? If you can't get to the playoffs with a 200 million dollar payroll then the next manager will be fired too.
We know what Joe can do. Its time to drop the comfortability and enjoy the newness, freshness and unpredictability that the new manager will bring.
It's time for a change. The contract term was a low blow considering everyone in the front office wanted him gone. It's been a great 12 seasons overall, but 8 of those seasons were heartbreakers. The best team in baseball couldn't win the big one 6 straight years. Come on!
I'm glad we'll be changing things up around here. I'd be down with Girardi as the new manager, an energetic young presence.
Hey! What about me? Sad day in Yankeeland for sure. I don't think $5 mil a year is an insult, if Joe loved the pinstriped so much I think he could overlook the money. I think he was disrespected the way he was told he was going to be fired if they lost. I bet that hurt more than anything. It's not like he was the guy not hitting out there..
Ysnkee management is turning the Yankees into......the Jets. Hal, Hank -- when the old man kicks, SELL THE DAMN TEAM!!!
A one year deal on a team that has the highest payroll in baseball with mediocre players under contract in perpetuity is not a chance it was a complete cop out. His contract was over show some class. Either bring him back with a multi year deal or move on. This was an act of a coward. You also have to look on Steinbreners threat when his contract was over as a completely gutless move that ties into the 1 year deal. I like the Yankees and I have a lot of respect for the way the Yankees have been handled as a business, but this lacked class and loyalty is something that good, classy organizations need. I have no problem with letting Torre go although I think overall he has done a great job including this year, that said have the balls to say we want to go in another direction than trying to have it both ways becuase you can't handle the heat.
In retrospect and after having time to think it over I think you are right. They didn't want him back so they should have just fired him last week. However, I also think if he really wanted to manage the team that offer should have gotten his competitive juices flowing. So I think it was a pretty mutual thing. There isn't another manager in baseball that wouldn't jump through hoops for that deal. It's a win-win situation unless you don't think you can get a 200 million dollar team to the playoffs.
First off I wish Joe good luck, He did alot of great things for the Yankees and he will be missed. As far as the next Manager goes, I have always wanted Girardi to take over for Torre so hopefully that happens.
I have this nagging suspicion that Cashman could be gone too once some of the preliminary off season work is completed.
I read an article this morning and unfortunately can't find it now to post a link. From it, I get the feeling that the whole Torre Fiasco may have been Cashman's fault. It said that the offer was presented by Cashman Tuesday night when he returned from Tampa. Why I think it may be Cashman's fault is I remember his news conference before he left where he said "When you have somebody in mind you start a negotiation". He may have led Torre to believe the offer was negotiable and this is why Torre wanted to go to Tampa yesterday to meet with the Steinbrenners in person. It also said the money wasn't the issue but he wanted two years. The clan thought they had a deal when he arrived and it was only when he said he couldn't accept it that they figured he didn't want the job anymore and said goodbye. So, if Cashman didn't know it wasn't negotiable, why didn't he? If he did know that why did he let Torre go to Tampa thinking he could negotiate?
umm...that would still be you it's funny, the Yankees org pulled an extremely shrewd business move designed to pull the wool over the eyes of most fans who they obviously feel aren't that smart....ya know fire the guy without actually firing him, and make him (Torre) look like the bad guy well congrads on falling into the target demographic there! don't blame it soley on Cashman either.........this was a very calcuated move by all involved
The issue obviously wasn't money, I feel the money was more than fair. But if a guy like Manny Acta can get a 2-year deal, to have some sort of security, this was a slap to Torre. I wanted him fired earlier, but this offer was bad. Basically 12 straight years of a post-season, only gets you 1 year in the final year of Yankee Stadium, and no security? And could very well be in the same position next season? I don't feel sorry for the Yankees, if they wanted to keep Torre, they easily could've...But with this offer, it was obvious the Yankees wanted a change.
I agree with every word of this. I'll go even further, though, and repeat my thoughts that it really was a crappy way to treat a gentleman who, even in his worst days, brought nothing but class to that organization. I can't wait to hear his comments later, and I'll bet all four dollars in my pocket that he'll go out with grace. I'll say this also: If Terry Francona turns in a lineup card tomorrow night with Coco Crisp starting in centerfield, I'd be in favor of firing the guy on the spot and calling Torre to finish the series. . . . and I'm only HALF kidding.
I really don't have any problem with the way the Yanks handled this. They had Joe by the short ones. His entire managerial career without the highest payroll in the league could be called mediocre if you're willing to be that charitable. No one would pay him half of what the Yanks offered as a base, not even mentioning the incentives and option. So his options are a) he works for the Yanks; b) or he signs on with someone else for much less with far less prospects for success; or c) retires. Who has the leverage in this scenario? And why are they wrong to use it to their advantage?
Actually, it would still be you. Do you really believe they thought something as blatantly obvious as this would work? Oh, wait, you do.
Even if you take the position that any manager could win with the Yankess, until Torre got here the Yankees while a winning organization and a great business uder Steinbrener, lacked something very important to a powerful company trying to continue it's strong branding, class and a likability factor that transcends just being a good product. Torre reestablished the Yankees as a classy orgaization run by a stable mature hand. That, at the time was an extremely important aspect to the job Torre did with the Yankees, something that can't be underestimated, it added real value to the Yankee trademark not just in NY but around the country. The Yankees wanted to move in another direction, fair enough but what they did reeks of the pre-Torre regime and ultimately will be another ugly stain on the Steinbrener legacy.
I don't think they want him at all. I think they want Mattingly but know he isn't ready. I also think, in their minds, Torre was the best choice to get him ready. They made him an offer of what they thought he was worth in that role. If somehow he did manage to win again, which they doubted, he would be rewarded. There was no sinister plot in it to get him to reject the contract.
