Joe Torre is a true mentor in his ability to keep a level presence when the boiler room reaches scorching temperatures. His slow methodical demeanor has a calming effect on all who surround him.
Unfortunately, Joe is not a motivator. He has been part of three straight colossal collapses in the post season. These failures have been monumental and embarrassing to the Yankee organization and it's fan base. Unless the organization finally realizes that pitching really is the key to post season success, Joe will end his reign as manager with just four rings (not a bad number).
During his first six years and four World Championships Joe had the horses on his pitching staff to be successful. There was quality starting pitching and great middle relief leading to the best closer of all time in the post season, Mariano Rivera.
Since 2002 the Yankee management decided that All Stars at every position was the way to go. Well it got them to the post season but in a short series we all know good pitching stops good hitting.
With this year’s pool of free agent pitching talent the market for staring pitching is weak at best. Therefore trading will be the highlight of this off-season restructuring strategy for the Yankees.
This will prove to be quite difficult given the Yankee dearth of large contracts and older injury prone pitchers that will be hard to move.
Look for either a major overhaul through trades (highly unlikely) or the same looking Yankee team of the past six seasons (more than likely).
If the later is the case, then expect the same result as the last six years. Joe does not have the motivational skills to get all these all stars on the same page to play team situational baseball. To be fair, I don’t know of any manager who can pull that one off.
----------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- --------------------- This is an article I wrote last week concerning My opinions on retaining Joe Torre
The longer this debacle plays out the more secure Joe Torre’s job will be. If he is not let go now there will be more damage done next season when the Yankees go into their first management and media proclaimed slump and his head is on the block again.
I would hope, and hope is the only rational thought I have, that Joe decides to step down as manager and take on a lesser role with the organization or just hangs them up. Let him leave with dignity and as they say, his terms. He has brought class and dignity to this organization for eleven years. He gets an A+ and a paycheck to prove it.
Joe Torre is a true mentor in his ability to keep a level presence when the boiler room reaches scorching temperatures. His slow methodical demeanor has a calming effect on all who surround him. The problem here is, after so many years, the soldier becomes lulled into a false sense of comfort and the troops are not prepared for battle.
The failures in the past three years have been monumental and embarrassing to the Yankee organization and it’s fan base. A drastic change has to be made and Torre and A-Rod are the projected targets. One or the other or both have got to go.
My real choice is for both to leave, but the lesser of the two problems would be for Joe to stay and A-Rod to go. There is no telling how team chemistry would react to a roster that included a player, in A-Rod, who is so psychologically fragile that causes teammates to make statements like the one Gary Sheffield made, which states, ” Joe Torre’s decision to bat Alex Rodriguez eighth in Game 4 ended up dooming the Yankees. I think that affected the morale and psyche of the entire team, not just A-Rod. I’m not making any excuses, but everyone was wondering what was going on. It made it a real weird day. You would like to be treated with a little respect, I don’t care who you play for.” (this coming from a guy who shows no respect for anyone but himself throughout most of his career). By the way, no matter what, the Sheff has cooked his last meal in New York’s AL kitchen.
By firing Torre an hiring Piniella this means A-Rod stays and the above mentioned team chemistry is going to suffer.
By keeping Torre and trading A-Rod, the team is once again lulled back into a “Daddy will make it better” mentality and here we go again.
Is a crazed Lou Piniella making the back pages of the New York Sports pages on a weekly basis and a coddled Alex Rodriquez whining about being treated unfairly because of his Bi-racial good looks and equally good looking pay stub what Yankee management and fans want to hear and read about? If so, bring on Sweet Lou. Let the Three Ring Circus begin and put that long running Class of New York Broadway hit Joe Torre directed in his eleven years into the record books.
Both acts have played their last matinee in New York. It’s time for a change. Let us hope that it is a classy one.
As I looked throughout the standings this morning I noticed that the Yankees have the second best record in baseball percentage wise. The oh so wise baseball analysts are all saying that the Yankees are now the team to beat.
It's funny how most of baseball, myself included, had depicted this team as a smoke and mirror magical act. Yet they continued to be right in contention all season long. They have three HOFers playing regularly and five overall. No other team has that make up.
I will now add a sixth HOFer into the mix. Brian Cashman. I did not like the Ponson acquisition but that was because of my personal disdain for the man. The deal was a wise and logical one and it came at no expense. Brian Cashman has made some stellar moves in the past despite having to fight his way through all the red tape and haggling of the three headed GM debacle. I wonder, given the authority he seems to have now and not having to deal with that obstacle, if the Kevin Brown type of acquisitions would have transpired. I'm beginning to think not.
The Yankee team is making it's usual second half drive with an attitude of swagger once again. The result of Brian Cashman and his ability to make the right moves and do things his way 90% of the time.(I'll give the Steinbrenner factor a 10% nudge, after all he is The Boss).
So being the fence sitter that I am I will now fall to the Yankee bandwagon side and say The Yankees are the team to beat. Three quality starters and a bull pen that is looking better each day. Abreu doesn't hurt either.
go into their first management and media proclaimed slump and his head is on the block again. 
