The Yankees basically fired Joe Torre today. He turned down a one-year, $5 million offer to return to manage the team next season, which I guess means he won't return at all.
It's a startling pay cut. This season, Torre made $7.5 million. The Yankees' offer actually called for him to receive up to $8 million depending on the team's postseason finish. This being the century that it is, that means Torre was going to get $5 million.
This firing/whatever officially makes this the greatest week in baseball history. Seriously, I've waited years for this. Is Joe Torre the best manager in baseball? Is the Pope Catholic?
Torre's best known for two things: making the perfect call and the perfect time, and having the perfect players to do it with. Sure, any monkey could be trained to bring in Mariano Rivera in when it's close and late. But can that monkey deal with all the other stuff, like a bizarre political environment that dictates that your best shortstop play third base? Can the monkey manage all those high-salaried egos? Can that monkey win three straight World Series? I mean, the Rockies just made it to one World Series, and I'm absolutely losing my mind. Torre lead his team to four Series wins in five years. You can say it's the players or the budget or whatever-but please turn your eyes towards the Red Sox or Braves or whoever, and realize that there's more to it than that.
Can Torre win without good players? Of course not. But that's nearly irrelevant. No coach in any sport can. (Unless all their opponents suck, too, like if the team was in the Mountain West or something.)
Can I get a round of applause for the Yankees' deft handling of this situation? We're not going to fire you, Joe, we'll just humiliate you into quitting. Cute. The Yankees fly under the radar so well that no one's going to put those pieces together.
I asked a Yankees fan a few moments ago how a team that wastes so much money on its players could be so cheap with its manager. And therein lies the rub. Obviously, the Yankees could pay Torre without slapping him in the face; they just elected not to. And make no mistake: they made no effort to keep him if $5 million is really what they put on the table. Would you keep your job if a) every year your company talked about firing you and b) they decided to give you a 33% pay cut? (Oh, and c) if the Boston Red Sox were about to give you $10 million?) I wouldn't. And unlike Torre, I'm not (at least one of) the best in the world at what I do.
I don't know what it's like to play or run a business in New York. I can understand, though, that the Yankees felt changes needed to be made. High-pressure environment, disappointing results, and all that. But why this change? The team's absolutely clueless personnel handling in recent years, especially considering their available resources, is mind-boggling. This is so weird. It'd be like the Broncos firing their running backs coach. Um, yeah, that guy's not the problem!
What's potentially even more entertaining for Yankees detractors (such as myself), is the team's upcoming search for a new skipper. Who can they get that's better? Nobody. Who will they get? I don't know about you, but I hope it's Don Mattingly, as the article suggests. I mean here's a guy whose own company sponsors his Baseball-reference.com page:
It's a startling pay cut. This season, Torre made $7.5 million. The Yankees' offer actually called for him to receive up to $8 million depending on the team's postseason finish. This being the century that it is, that means Torre was going to get $5 million.
This firing/whatever officially makes this the greatest week in baseball history. Seriously, I've waited years for this. Is Joe Torre the best manager in baseball? Is the Pope Catholic?
Torre's best known for two things: making the perfect call and the perfect time, and having the perfect players to do it with. Sure, any monkey could be trained to bring in Mariano Rivera in when it's close and late. But can that monkey deal with all the other stuff, like a bizarre political environment that dictates that your best shortstop play third base? Can the monkey manage all those high-salaried egos? Can that monkey win three straight World Series? I mean, the Rockies just made it to one World Series, and I'm absolutely losing my mind. Torre lead his team to four Series wins in five years. You can say it's the players or the budget or whatever-but please turn your eyes towards the Red Sox or Braves or whoever, and realize that there's more to it than that.
Can Torre win without good players? Of course not. But that's nearly irrelevant. No coach in any sport can. (Unless all their opponents suck, too, like if the team was in the Mountain West or something.)
Can I get a round of applause for the Yankees' deft handling of this situation? We're not going to fire you, Joe, we'll just humiliate you into quitting. Cute. The Yankees fly under the radar so well that no one's going to put those pieces together.
I asked a Yankees fan a few moments ago how a team that wastes so much money on its players could be so cheap with its manager. And therein lies the rub. Obviously, the Yankees could pay Torre without slapping him in the face; they just elected not to. And make no mistake: they made no effort to keep him if $5 million is really what they put on the table. Would you keep your job if a) every year your company talked about firing you and b) they decided to give you a 33% pay cut? (Oh, and c) if the Boston Red Sox were about to give you $10 million?) I wouldn't. And unlike Torre, I'm not (at least one of) the best in the world at what I do.
I don't know what it's like to play or run a business in New York. I can understand, though, that the Yankees felt changes needed to be made. High-pressure environment, disappointing results, and all that. But why this change? The team's absolutely clueless personnel handling in recent years, especially considering their available resources, is mind-boggling. This is so weird. It'd be like the Broncos firing their running backs coach. Um, yeah, that guy's not the problem!
What's potentially even more entertaining for Yankees detractors (such as myself), is the team's upcoming search for a new skipper. Who can they get that's better? Nobody. Who will they get? I don't know about you, but I hope it's Don Mattingly, as the article suggests. I mean here's a guy whose own company sponsors his Baseball-reference.com page:
Check out Don's new V-Grip Baseball and Softball bats sure to improve your grip and improve your hitting mechanics. Try the same handle that Don invented to help his own kids help improve their swing.Come on, man. This cheeseball's going to lead the New York Freakin' Yankees? I can't wait!
Comments
More than who will replace Joe as manager, the Yankees should be concerned with how they will keep Posada, Rivera and A-Rod. Torre was a player's coach and was known for having an excellent relationship with his players. Torre's leaving could affect the decision of these players remaining on the team.
And the Yankees are just being dumb here...I would love it if Boston makes a play for him. After they win the ALCS in the 31st inning of Game Seven, of course.
I respect Torre for walking away. The Yankees' offer was a slap in the face, but at least he had the dignity to leave quietly.
Mattingly played on so many great Yankees teams that I get why they would want him to manage the team now . . .
On a separate note, would you agree that the Rockies would receive greater esteem beating the Red Sox in the world series vs. the Indians? I'm personally rooting for the Red Sox to win because I think it will look better for David to beat Goliath instead of another David.
Torre seems like a good guy. This morning, before this news broke, I was thinking about writing a "Go ahead, make my day" post from Torre's perspective about how he was probably dying to get fired. It's been hopeless for the poor guy for years.
I get that Mattingly's popular, he just seems like a weird choice to me considering his experience level. He is, of course, the current bench coach, which would give him some cachet with the players. I wonder if the decisions on players will affect his candidacy. Like if a bunch of guys are staying, will they want to keep a familiar face around? I don't know, maybe it won't affect his chances.
Blaine, if the Red Sox had lost tonight, I could see dumping Francona for Torre as a pretty defensible move. You're right, he's popular, but is he a great manager? People who follow the team more closely than I seem not to think so, but I don't know.
I would much rather the Rockies face the Red Sox, personally, though it'll make World Series tickets harder to come by. I completely agree that they'll get more respect nationally if they beat the Sox. My more cynical side says that if the Rockies beat the Sox, they'll get about five minutes on SportsCenter, followed by fifty-five minutes of "What will the Red Sox do?" You know, sort of like the treatment the Indians got, and are getting right now in this blog comment, after beating New York.
As for Torre to the Red Sox, what is the likelihood he would even take the job? I understand that we now live in the era of Johnny Damon leaving Boston for the Yankees, but it is hard to picture someone who was associated with the Yankees for so long making a jump to Red Sox nation.
I, of course, would prefer to see the Rockies beat the Red Sox - but part of me thinks our chances are better against the Indians, so I am not sure which opponent is better overall. And you are right that if we beat the Sox it will just turn into an expose on what the Sox do next - but I am still more than happy to take a World Series trophy, no matter how it comes.
Who IS a great manager in the AL? The only thing an AL manager has to do is know when the starting pitcher needs to be pulled. Any idiot could do that. So, it seems that popularity is the most important qualifier as long as your team is winning, unless of course you're the Yankees and you need a scapegoat for horribly mismanaged funds. The only real managers in the MLB reside in the NL.
John, I don't know if Torre would take the job, because it's so hard to know what he's really thinking. In his shoes I'd be really pissed and want to stick it to them. But he's not very public with his emotions (yet). Taking a job in Boston would probably kill his legend status in New York, but man, just imaging him winning a Series with the Sox next year...I don't know if anything would ever embarrass the Yankees more.
Well, of course the trophy's the most important thing. David and I were discussing at the game how great it'd be to beat the Red Sox and read the Sports Guy's whining excuses afterwards...don't forget that factor.
And I for one would love to see Torre jump to Boston and stick it to the Yankees . . . but he doesn't strike me as nearly as vindicative as I am.