Joe Torre to be fired -- Source: N.Y. Daily News (1 Viewer)

[Alias]

NY Daily News (back) cover

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

Was Piniella the guy who got into a fistfight with Rob Dibble on camera awhile back?

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

Love to see the Padres send Scott Linebrink and Ceasar Carrillo to the Yanks if they'll pick up $24M of the $67M Alex is owed over the next 4. 3B is the biggest hole in SD, and ARod will be pushing 600 HRs at the end of his deal. As much as I enjoy watching my boys, they're in dire need of a mega-star to draw crowds on Tuesdays in July. Right now, they don't have anyone that you absolutely positively have to watch every at bat.Bring ARod west Kevin Towers.

So you want the Yanks to send one of the best players in the game to the Pads for a 30-year-old MR, an average prospect with elbow and forearm problems who has never pitched above AA, and also pick up a third of the salary?Get real dude. ARod would cost you guys a hellllll of a lot more than that.

Haven't you been saying how terrible A-Rod is lately? I'm surprised you feel he's worth much.

God I'd hate to have to explain this to you once again.

IF the Padres want A-Rod, it's going to cost them Young, Peavy and or a stud prospect. He is still an uber-stud, regardless of what the media would lead you to believe. Bottom line, the Padres don't have the talent to get A-Rod. The White Sox,however, may have the goods to get a deal done.

Would love to see Ar-d in Chicago. Well during the playoffs anyway

 

[Kiddnets]

Great - now another 3 months of Torre/Pinella calls on WFAN! Just when I thought they would start talking football! Get ready for Yankee Day the week of the NFL playoffs!

 

[NY/NJMFDIVER]

Quick question- Torre gets the axe immediately, yet Cashman goes unscathed in all of this?

Cashman has had his fingerprints on this team for less than a year, prior to, it was the work of the Tampa braintrust. His fingerprints include Bruney, Abreu, Damon,etc. Not an awful start, but he probably gets one more year of leash. Torre's had a billion dollars worth of roster since 2000 and hasn't won. Hasn't been all his fault, the chef can only cook, not buy all the ingridients too.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

I will preface my post with the following - I didn't want Buck Showalter to be fired and really, really didn't want Joe Torre to be manager. I ate my crow in 1996 and have loved Torre since, and liekly always will. I hope they retire his number (yeah, I know he's a manager and not a player).

Ok, here goes: I don't want Lou Piniella to manage this team. To be honest, I don't know who would be a good fit there, but I don't think Lou is. I could be wrong. I hope I am.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

I hope this is true, the Angels would love their broadcaster back.

 

[Sundays Rule]

I think this move is wrong...Torre has like one year left on the contract. I say give him at least that and it still doesnt pan out at leat you can make a clean break.

 

[Sundays Rule]

How can you even blame this one on Torre? I dont get it...that team played miserably, hows that his fault.

 

[The Big Donkey]

Any homers with thoughts on how far P. Hughes is from the bigs?

I always thought Girardi would end up there when Torre was done.

 

[gocats]

' date='Oct 8 2006, 01:44 AM' post='5678769']Knee-jerk mistake.When they underperform with Piniella, Steinbrenner will re-hire Torre and it will be the 1980s all over again. Good times.

Negative.The players have been coddled too much by Mr. Nice Guy. Sweet Lou won't hear of that garbage. And maybe he's just the guy to get A-Rod going, just like when they paired up in Seattle.

They need someone to light a fire under all those underachievers

 

[tommyGunZ]

Love to see the Padres send Scott Linebrink and Ceasar Carrillo to the Yanks if they'll pick up $24M of the $67M Alex is owed over the next 4. 3B is the biggest hole in SD, and ARod will be pushing 600 HRs at the end of his deal. As much as I enjoy watching my boys, they're in dire need of a mega-star to draw crowds on Tuesdays in July. Right now, they don't have anyone that you absolutely positively have to watch every at bat.Bring ARod west Kevin Towers.

So you want the Yanks to send one of the best players in the game to the Pads for a 30-year-old MR, an average prospect with elbow and forearm problems who has never pitched above AA, and also pick up a third of the salary?Get real dude. ARod would cost you guys a hellllll of a lot more than that.

A 30 yr old MR whom everyone in baseball thinks is a closer pitching in the 8th inning. And Carrillo is a top prospect, although he has arm problems.The Yanks save $9M per season, have their 8th inning setup man and successor to Rivera, and a stud young SP who will be ready late next year or in '08. I'm not saying it will get done, but it's a lot more likely than Jake Peavy or Chris Young.I know you're not familiar with MLB since their isn't a franchise in your region, but contracts play a large roll in determining the trade value of a player. See ASoriano getting dealt for 3 scrubs last year. See Manny Ramirez being offered for chicken feed evey offseason.

 

[zamboni]

How can you even blame this one on Torre? I dont get it...that team played miserably, hows that his fault.

I don't disagree with you, but this is obviously not a one-shot deal. Ever since Luis Gonzalez' bleeder in 2001, it's been one bad series loss after another for a variety of reasons. Obviously, the 2004 collapse against the Red Sox was the worst, but this one isn't too far behind given that the Bombers got bombed by a team that backed into the playoffs. And it's not the first time that the vaunted Yankee bats have gone absolutely dormant.It's often overplayed in the media, but the chemistry angle definitely seems to hold here. In past years, with guys like O'Neill, Brosius, Tino, Girardi, etc. the team just REFUSED to lose. You don't get that anymore, but rather a bunch of extraordinarily well paid players that want to win, but don't seem to have that inner drive that their predecessors had. Even Jeter can't seem to rub off on these guys.As for Torre, it's hard to say how much of this lost chemistry he is responsible for, but I think at the end of the day, a change needs to be made. As much as I love the guy for what he brought to Yankee fans, I think every guy gets to the point where he's done as much as he can, and the time is probably now. I agree, though, that I don't think Sweet Lou is the right guy - I don't see him and Jeter co-existing well.

 

[DCThunder]

If Girardi is to be in the running for the Yankees job, they'd better move fast since the Nationals and Cubs also want him. Maybe Torre can come down to DC to run the Nationals.

BTW, I'd guess that Moose Mussina has pitched his last game in pinstripes, and probably The Unit as well. Bernie won't be back and it wouln't surprise me to see Giambi moving on too.

 

[Judge Smails]

Best for Torre. Get out of that mess. Long enough. Enjoy the money, go and golf.

 

[RKMoney]

Best for Torre. Get out of that mess. Long enough. Enjoy the money, go and golf.

 

[Capella]

Love to see the Padres send Scott Linebrink and Ceasar Carrillo to the Yanks if they'll pick up $24M of the $67M Alex is owed over the next 4. 3B is the biggest hole in SD, and ARod will be pushing 600 HRs at the end of his deal. As much as I enjoy watching my boys, they're in dire need of a mega-star to draw crowds on Tuesdays in July. Right now, they don't have anyone that you absolutely positively have to watch every at bat.Bring ARod west Kevin Towers.

So you want the Yanks to send one of the best players in the game to the Pads for a 30-year-old MR, an average prospect with elbow and forearm problems who has never pitched above AA, and also pick up a third of the salary?Get real dude. ARod would cost you guys a hellllll of a lot more than that.

A 30 yr old MR whom everyone in baseball thinks is a closer pitching in the 8th inning. And Carrillo is a top prospect, although he has arm problems.The Yanks save $9M per season, have their 8th inning setup man and successor to Rivera, and a stud young SP who will be ready late next year or in '08. I'm not saying it will get done, but it's a lot more likely than Jake Peavy or Chris Young.I know you're not familiar with MLB since their isn't a franchise in your region, but contracts play a large roll in determining the trade value of a player. See ASoriano getting dealt for 3 scrubs last year. See Manny Ramirez being offered for chicken feed evey offseason.

You propose that crap and say I know nothing about baseball? btw, the team in my region has as many world series wins as you. and we've celebrated a super bowl, in your stadium. btw, mr. baseball knowledge, the money means nothing to the yanks. please keep up.

 

[El Floppo]

Just to clarify, this is a rumor and not official, right?

It's on the front page of Sunday's N.Y. Daily News... Torre Fired -- To Be Replaced By Piniella.They just showed the cover on ESPN. I'd say that's more than a rumor.

Considering they're the only source talking about this- the rest are just talking about the Daily News story- for now it's still rumor, IMO. As I recall, the Daily News also incorrectly reported somebody winning an election within the last few years on the front page of an early edition (although that could've been the Post) before correcting it in later editions that day.

 

[Sundays Rule]

as a yankee fan i absolutely blame the lack of chemistry on this team on steinbrenners free spending on every single all star thats come along his way. People like that just dont mesh well together. Id imagine hes gonna try it again this year trying to buy pitching like he always does and hell dump off a few players like he always does cuz he always needs someone to blame other than himself. And all itll get us is another post season collapse...maybe this time to the royals with our luck. I do agree A-Rod has to go...too much of a distraction, still an amazing player, just doesnt fit. I hate to see Torre go.

 

[Your Mom]

Love to see the Padres send Scott Linebrink and Ceasar Carrillo to the Yanks if they'll pick up $24M of the $67M Alex is owed over the next 4.

3B is the biggest hole in SD, and ARod will be pushing 600 HRs at the end of his deal. As much as I enjoy watching my boys, they're in dire need of a mega-star to draw crowds on Tuesdays in July. Right now, they don't have anyone that you absolutely positively have to watch every at bat.

Bring ARod west Kevin Towers.

So you want the Yanks to send one of the best players in the game to the Pads for a 30-year-old MR, an average prospect with elbow and forearm problems who has never pitched above AA, and also pick up a third of the salary?

Get real dude. ARod would cost you guys a hellllll of a lot more than that.

Haven't you been saying how terrible A-Rod is lately? I'm surprised you feel he's worth much.

God I'd hate to have to explain this to you once again.

IF the Padres want A-Rod, it's going to cost them Young, Peavy and or a stud prospect. He is still an uber-stud, regardless of what the media would lead you to believe. Bottom line, the Padres don't have the talent to get A-Rod. The White Sox,however, may have the goods to get a deal done.

Why would the white sox trade a bunch of guys for A-rod? They already have a gold glove calibar 3rd baseman and he is a stud in the clutch. They also have a really good 3B prospect. A-rod is better than them obviously, but it makes no sense for the white sox to trade a bunch of really good players for A-rod, UNLESS they move him back to SS. That would be the only reason.

 

[shadyridr]

This is a complete overreaction. Torre is not the problem with this team. The problem is its a bunch of mercenaries in the lineup. These guys dont really care about each other. There's no life, no energy, no spark. The kind of smiles you seen on the faces of Cano and Cabrera when theyre joking around in the dugout is something missing from pretty much everyone else on the team. IMO the way to build a solid team is from minor league system to fill out the majority of your lineup. Have these guys grow up together and when they make it they'll be pulling for each other. Then with the few holes left in the lineup you fill with free agents that fit your teams philosophy. The bullpen should also be built like this as guys who have struggled in years past sometimes can overcome and have great surprise seasons. The only spot Id fill with free agents is the rotation. Pitching is very hard to predict and I dont mind having a bunch of free agent pitchers in the rotation. Plus starting pitchers are loners by nature. They only have to play once every 5 days and barely talk to other players on the team. But the FA pitchers you sign cant be over the hill and have to have some kind of track record. For example, Barry Zito may be overrated as an ace but he will be a very solid pitcher for the rest of his career, hes fairly young, and he is not injury prone so he would be a solid signing.

That being said here is how I solve the Yankees. Alot of it is probably impossible but Ill assume it can be done. They need to unload Giambi, Mussina, Johnson, Wright, and Sheffield. They are too old and dont really care about winning or about theor teammates. Mussina & Johnson are too old, Wright sucks and Giambi cant field. Id try to trade all of these players even if you have to accept back average prospects and pay most of the salary. The outfield is set with Cabrera in LF, Damon in CF, Abreu in RF (solid character guys and all perfect for their roles). Sign an athletic 1B who can field and put Matsui at DH. Resign Bernie (a character guy) as 5th OFer/DH. Keep ARod. Yes I agree he may not be able to cut it but hes still very young and in the prime of his career. Guys like Bruney, Proctor, and Veras need to stay in the bullpen spots. The rotation should be Wang, Zito, a solid innings eater, Pavano (cuz we're stuck with him), and a minor leaguer (Karstens or Hughes if hes ready). I dont mind if they dont make the playoffs next year and rebuilding this team should not take too long cuz they have a solid core and enough minor leaguers to make progress. And they gotta keep Torre. Outside his mismanagement of the bullpen in the regular season he is not to blame for this series.

 

[TinHat]

They should grab Girardi

 

[PC Load Letter]

Never has a manager done less and reaped more rewards.

Gee, It's so hard sending out 9 All Stars and then calling for Rivera in the 9th when you're up by 3 or less.

If anything, Torre probably lost the Yankees more games over his tenure than he won for them.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

This is a complete overreaction. Torre is not the problem with this team. The problem is its a bunch of mercenaries in the lineup. These guys dont really care about each other. There's no life, no energy, no spark. The kind of smiles you seen on the faces of Cano and Cabrera when theyre joking around in the dugout is something missing from pretty much everyone else on the team. IMO the way to build a solid team is from minor league system to fill out the majority of your lineup. Have these guys grow up together and when they make it they'll be pulling for each other. Then with the few holes left in the lineup you fill with free agents that fit your teams philosophy. The bullpen should also be built like this as guys who have struggled in years past sometimes can overcome and have great surprise seasons. The only spot Id fill with free agents is the rotation. Pitching is very hard to predict and I dont mind having a bunch of free agent pitchers in the rotation. Plus starting pitchers are loners by nature. They only have to play once every 5 days and barely talk to other players on the team. But the FA pitchers you sign cant be over the hill and have to have some kind of track record. For example, Barry Zito may be overrated as an ace but he will be a very solid pitcher for the rest of his career, hes fairly young, and he is not injury prone so he would be a solid signing.That being said here is how I solve the Yankees. Alot of it is probably impossible but Ill assume it can be done. They need to unload Giambi, Mussina, Johnson, Wright, and Sheffield. They are too old and dont really care about winning or about theor teammates. Mussina & Johnson are too old, Wright sucks and Giambi cant field. Id try to trade all of these players even if you have to accept back average prospects and pay most of the salary. The outfield is set with Cabrera in LF, Damon in CF, Abreu in RF (solid character guys and all perfect for their roles). Sign an athletic 1B who can field and put Matsui at DH. Resign Bernie (a character guy) as 5th OFer/DH. Keep ARod. Yes I agree he may not be able to cut it but hes still very young and in the prime of his career. Guys like Bruney, Proctor, and Veras need to stay in the bullpen spots. The rotation should be Wang, Zito, a solid innings eater, Pavano (cuz we're stuck with him), and a minor leaguer (Karstens or Hughes if hes ready). I dont mind if they dont make the playoffs next year and rebuilding this team should not take too long cuz they have a solid core and enough minor leaguers to make progress. And they gotta keep Torre. Outside his mismanagement of the bullpen in the regular season he is not to blame for this series.

Damon is really worth the $$$ he's being paid?

 

[saintsfan]

Are we about to enter another Billyball era where the Yankees are a laughingstock?

 

[Jules Winnfield]

as a yankee fan i absolutely blame the lack of chemistry on this team on steinbrenners free spending on every single all star thats come along his way. People like that just dont mesh well together. Id imagine hes gonna try it again this year trying to buy pitching like he always does and hell dump off a few players like he always does cuz he always needs someone to blame other than himself. And all itll get us is another post season collapse...maybe this time to the royals with our luck. I do agree A-Rod has to go...too much of a distraction, still an amazing player, just doesnt fit. I hate to see Torre go.

A-Rod is the destraction?Jason Giambi, who sat out 82 games in 2004 with a "viral infection" while he shed 40 pounds of BALCO weight and batted .208 wasn't a destraction? A "viral infection"? Did anybody really believe that?Then another reason he lost all that weight was that he quit drinking?The same Giambi that refused AAA assignment to work out his problems. What a TEAM guy!Giambi says that A-Rod exudes a false confidence.What are steroids again Mr Giambi? How real are those stats you put up with them? Steroid user like Giambi and Sheffield (like he didn't) get the pass but A-Rod has a slump and he is butchered by fans in NY. How bad were the Yankee teamates ripping on Giambi and his .208 AVG and 20 million per year? I don't remember a lot of people doing that.How bad is Giambi at first? Sheffield is working out there and he can't even catch the ball the right way at first. Did you watch him at first? What the hell? How bad is Giambi in the field? TERRIBLE it seems to want to have Sheffield there.A-Rod hits .290 something, 34 HR, and 116 RBI and he is criticized? To get it from the guys in your own locker room is just pathetic especially when the person throwing out the stingers is a BALCO boy like Giambi. Are you F!n kidding?It's comical that Mussina had an ERA of 4.50 in 2004 and 2005 and Johnson's ERA was over 5.00 pretty much this entire season but they collected their $15 to $18 million with very little criticism. Johnson is DONE!Everybody wants to say he can't hit in the clutch, but his lifetime post season batting average was .305. He had a couple tough series and everybody is ready to kill the guy. Didn't Vlad Guerrero go 1-20 in the playoffs but nobody was calling him a choke artist.

 

[shadyridr]

This is a complete overreaction. Torre is not the problem with this team. The problem is its a bunch of mercenaries in the lineup. These guys dont really care about each other. There's no life, no energy, no spark. The kind of smiles you seen on the faces of Cano and Cabrera when theyre joking around in the dugout is something missing from pretty much everyone else on the team. IMO the way to build a solid team is from minor league system to fill out the majority of your lineup. Have these guys grow up together and when they make it they'll be pulling for each other. Then with the few holes left in the lineup you fill with free agents that fit your teams philosophy. The bullpen should also be built like this as guys who have struggled in years past sometimes can overcome and have great surprise seasons. The only spot Id fill with free agents is the rotation. Pitching is very hard to predict and I dont mind having a bunch of free agent pitchers in the rotation. Plus starting pitchers are loners by nature. They only have to play once every 5 days and barely talk to other players on the team. But the FA pitchers you sign cant be over the hill and have to have some kind of track record. For example, Barry Zito may be overrated as an ace but he will be a very solid pitcher for the rest of his career, hes fairly young, and he is not injury prone so he would be a solid signing.That being said here is how I solve the Yankees. Alot of it is probably impossible but Ill assume it can be done. They need to unload Giambi, Mussina, Johnson, Wright, and Sheffield. They are too old and dont really care about winning or about theor teammates. Mussina & Johnson are too old, Wright sucks and Giambi cant field. Id try to trade all of these players even if you have to accept back average prospects and pay most of the salary. The outfield is set with Cabrera in LF, Damon in CF, Abreu in RF (solid character guys and all perfect for their roles). Sign an athletic 1B who can field and put Matsui at DH. Resign Bernie (a character guy) as 5th OFer/DH. Keep ARod. Yes I agree he may not be able to cut it but hes still very young and in the prime of his career. Guys like Bruney, Proctor, and Veras need to stay in the bullpen spots. The rotation should be Wang, Zito, a solid innings eater, Pavano (cuz we're stuck with him), and a minor leaguer (Karstens or Hughes if hes ready). I dont mind if they dont make the playoffs next year and rebuilding this team should not take too long cuz they have a solid core and enough minor leaguers to make progress. And they gotta keep Torre. Outside his mismanagement of the bullpen in the regular season he is not to blame for this series.

Damon is really worth the $$$ he's being paid?

No hes probably overpaid but that doesnt mean there isnt a place on this team and that hes not valuable for this team. Part of the reason Jeter had the great year he had was having Damon hit leadoff.

 

[shadyridr]

as a yankee fan i absolutely blame the lack of chemistry on this team on steinbrenners free spending on every single all star thats come along his way. People like that just dont mesh well together. Id imagine hes gonna try it again this year trying to buy pitching like he always does and hell dump off a few players like he always does cuz he always needs someone to blame other than himself. And all itll get us is another post season collapse...maybe this time to the royals with our luck. I do agree A-Rod has to go...too much of a distraction, still an amazing player, just doesnt fit. I hate to see Torre go.

A-Rod is the destraction?Jason Giambi, who sat out 82 games in 2004 with a "viral infection" while he shed 40 pounds of BALCO weight and batted .208 wasn't a destraction? A "viral infection"? Did anybody really believe that?Then another reason he lost all that weight was that he quit drinking?The same Giambi that refused AAA assignment to work out his problems. What a TEAM guy!Giambi says that A-Rod exudes a false confidence.What are steroids again Mr Giambi? How real are those stats you put up with them? Steroid user like Giambi and Sheffield (like he didn't) get the pass but A-Rod has a slump and he is butchered by fans in NY. How bad were the Yankee teamates ripping on Giambi and his .208 AVG and 20 million per year? I don't remember a lot of people doing that.How bad is Giambi at first? Sheffield is working out there and he can't even catch the ball the right way at first. Did you watch him at first? What the hell? How bad is Giambi in the field? TERRIBLE it seems to want to have Sheffield there.A-Rod hits .290 something, 34 HR, and 116 RBI and he is criticized? To get it from the guys in your own locker room is just pathetic especially when the person throwing out the stingers is a BALCO boy like Giambi. Are you F!n kidding?It's comical that Mussina had an ERA of 4.50 in 2004 and 2005 and Johnson's ERA was over 5.00 pretty much this entire season but they collected their $15 to $18 million with very little criticism. Johnson is DONE!Everybody wants to say he can't hit in the clutch, but his lifetime post season batting average was .305. He had a couple tough series and everybody is ready to kill the guy. Didn't Vlad Guerrero go 1-20 in the playoffs but nobody was calling him a choke artist.

I pretty much agree with everything you said here. ARod is not the problem, he is part of the solution.

 

[Dope]

I've been a Yankee Fan for 30 years now.

The second that I saw the Tigers pouring champagne on a cop's head, I was saying to myself...it's time for Joe to go.

Joe Torre will always hold a special place in the Yankee part of my heart.

But this team needs someone new. God bless Joe and everything, but he hasn't been the same manager since Zimmer left.

I really think he's going through the motions sometimes.

I actually think Lou Pinella would be a great fit. The role that Pinella fits in the Yankee clubhouse is the fiery-type leader. The one that Paul O'Neill used to fill. They need that guy more than they need anything else.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

This is a complete overreaction. Torre is not the problem with this team. The problem is its a bunch of mercenaries in the lineup. These guys dont really care about each other. There's no life, no energy, no spark. The kind of smiles you seen on the faces of Cano and Cabrera when theyre joking around in the dugout is something missing from pretty much everyone else on the team. IMO the way to build a solid team is from minor league system to fill out the majority of your lineup. Have these guys grow up together and when they make it they'll be pulling for each other. Then with the few holes left in the lineup you fill with free agents that fit your teams philosophy. The bullpen should also be built like this as guys who have struggled in years past sometimes can overcome and have great surprise seasons. The only spot Id fill with free agents is the rotation. Pitching is very hard to predict and I dont mind having a bunch of free agent pitchers in the rotation. Plus starting pitchers are loners by nature. They only have to play once every 5 days and barely talk to other players on the team. But the FA pitchers you sign cant be over the hill and have to have some kind of track record. For example, Barry Zito may be overrated as an ace but he will be a very solid pitcher for the rest of his career, hes fairly young, and he is not injury prone so he would be a solid signing.That being said here is how I solve the Yankees. Alot of it is probably impossible but Ill assume it can be done. They need to unload Giambi, Mussina, Johnson, Wright, and Sheffield. They are too old and dont really care about winning or about theor teammates. Mussina & Johnson are too old, Wright sucks and Giambi cant field. Id try to trade all of these players even if you have to accept back average prospects and pay most of the salary. The outfield is set with Cabrera in LF, Damon in CF, Abreu in RF (solid character guys and all perfect for their roles). Sign an athletic 1B who can field and put Matsui at DH. Resign Bernie (a character guy) as 5th OFer/DH. Keep ARod. Yes I agree he may not be able to cut it but hes still very young and in the prime of his career. Guys like Bruney, Proctor, and Veras need to stay in the bullpen spots. The rotation should be Wang, Zito, a solid innings eater, Pavano (cuz we're stuck with him), and a minor leaguer (Karstens or Hughes if hes ready). I dont mind if they dont make the playoffs next year and rebuilding this team should not take too long cuz they have a solid core and enough minor leaguers to make progress. And they gotta keep Torre. Outside his mismanagement of the bullpen in the regular season he is not to blame for this series.

Damon is really worth the $$$ he's being paid?

No hes probably overpaid but that doesnt mean there isnt a place on this team and that hes not valuable for this team. Part of the reason Jeter had the great year he had was having Damon hit leadoff.

Well he could do the same with Luis Castillo leading off becasue his OBP was .358. and at 5M this season they could save $$$ Johnny Damon was .359 @ 13MDave Roberts was .360 @ 2.25MJason Kendall was .367 @ 11M (seriously?) A guy hits 1 HR and gets that much? Cripes, Punto hit 1 and he's "only" getting 690k. with a .352 OBPIchiro Suzuki was .370 12.5MI don't know what other lead off hitters were getting.They overpaid for Damon.

 

[shadyridr]

This is a complete overreaction. Torre is not the problem with this team. The problem is its a bunch of mercenaries in the lineup. These guys dont really care about each other. There's no life, no energy, no spark. The kind of smiles you seen on the faces of Cano and Cabrera when theyre joking around in the dugout is something missing from pretty much everyone else on the team. IMO the way to build a solid team is from minor league system to fill out the majority of your lineup. Have these guys grow up together and when they make it they'll be pulling for each other. Then with the few holes left in the lineup you fill with free agents that fit your teams philosophy. The bullpen should also be built like this as guys who have struggled in years past sometimes can overcome and have great surprise seasons. The only spot Id fill with free agents is the rotation. Pitching is very hard to predict and I dont mind having a bunch of free agent pitchers in the rotation. Plus starting pitchers are loners by nature. They only have to play once every 5 days and barely talk to other players on the team. But the FA pitchers you sign cant be over the hill and have to have some kind of track record. For example, Barry Zito may be overrated as an ace but he will be a very solid pitcher for the rest of his career, hes fairly young, and he is not injury prone so he would be a solid signing.That being said here is how I solve the Yankees. Alot of it is probably impossible but Ill assume it can be done. They need to unload Giambi, Mussina, Johnson, Wright, and Sheffield. They are too old and dont really care about winning or about theor teammates. Mussina & Johnson are too old, Wright sucks and Giambi cant field. Id try to trade all of these players even if you have to accept back average prospects and pay most of the salary. The outfield is set with Cabrera in LF, Damon in CF, Abreu in RF (solid character guys and all perfect for their roles). Sign an athletic 1B who can field and put Matsui at DH. Resign Bernie (a character guy) as 5th OFer/DH. Keep ARod. Yes I agree he may not be able to cut it but hes still very young and in the prime of his career. Guys like Bruney, Proctor, and Veras need to stay in the bullpen spots. The rotation should be Wang, Zito, a solid innings eater, Pavano (cuz we're stuck with him), and a minor leaguer (Karstens or Hughes if hes ready). I dont mind if they dont make the playoffs next year and rebuilding this team should not take too long cuz they have a solid core and enough minor leaguers to make progress. And they gotta keep Torre. Outside his mismanagement of the bullpen in the regular season he is not to blame for this series.

Damon is really worth the $$$ he's being paid?

No hes probably overpaid but that doesnt mean there isnt a place on this team and that hes not valuable for this team. Part of the reason Jeter had the great year he had was having Damon hit leadoff.

Well he could do the same with Luis Castillo leading off becasue his OBP was .358. and at 5M this season they could save $$$ Johnny Damon was .359 @ 13MDave Roberts was .360 @ 2.25MJason Kendall was .367 @ 11M (seriously?) A guy hits 1 HR and gets that much? Cripes, Punto hit 1 and he's "only" getting 690k. with a .352 OBPIchiro Suzuki was .370 12.5MI don't know what other lead off hitters were getting.They overpaid for Damon.

Give it up. The money's already spent so thats a nonfactor. Plus I would assume his slugging percentage far dominates the players you mentioned since he hit 25 HRs and I think led the Yanks in 2Bs. Plus hes a great locker room presence. Hes a character guy, something Ive been saying we need more of. So no I disagree with you that we overpaid for Damon.

 

[Pat Patriot]

This is a complete overreaction. Torre is not the problem with this team. The problem is its a bunch of mercenaries in the lineup. These guys dont really care about each other. There's no life, no energy, no spark. The kind of smiles you seen on the faces of Cano and Cabrera when theyre joking around in the dugout is something missing from pretty much everyone else on the team. IMO the way to build a solid team is from minor league system to fill out the majority of your lineup. Have these guys grow up together and when they make it they'll be pulling for each other. Then with the few holes left in the lineup you fill with free agents that fit your teams philosophy. The bullpen should also be built like this as guys who have struggled in years past sometimes can overcome and have great surprise seasons. The only spot Id fill with free agents is the rotation. Pitching is very hard to predict and I dont mind having a bunch of free agent pitchers in the rotation. Plus starting pitchers are loners by nature. They only have to play once every 5 days and barely talk to other players on the team. But the FA pitchers you sign cant be over the hill and have to have some kind of track record. For example, Barry Zito may be overrated as an ace but he will be a very solid pitcher for the rest of his career, hes fairly young, and he is not injury prone so he would be a solid signing.That being said here is how I solve the Yankees. Alot of it is probably impossible but Ill assume it can be done. They need to unload Giambi, Mussina, Johnson, Wright, and Sheffield. They are too old and dont really care about winning or about theor teammates. Mussina & Johnson are too old, Wright sucks and Giambi cant field. Id try to trade all of these players even if you have to accept back average prospects and pay most of the salary. The outfield is set with Cabrera in LF, Damon in CF, Abreu in RF (solid character guys and all perfect for their roles). Sign an athletic 1B who can field and put Matsui at DH. Resign Bernie (a character guy) as 5th OFer/DH. Keep ARod. Yes I agree he may not be able to cut it but hes still very young and in the prime of his career. Guys like Bruney, Proctor, and Veras need to stay in the bullpen spots. The rotation should be Wang, Zito, a solid innings eater, Pavano (cuz we're stuck with him), and a minor leaguer (Karstens or Hughes if hes ready). I dont mind if they dont make the playoffs next year and rebuilding this team should not take too long cuz they have a solid core and enough minor leaguers to make progress. And they gotta keep Torre. Outside his mismanagement of the bullpen in the regular season he is not to blame for this series.

Damon is really worth the $$$ he's being paid?

No hes probably overpaid but that doesnt mean there isnt a place on this team and that hes not valuable for this team. Part of the reason Jeter had the great year he had was having Damon hit leadoff.

Well he could do the same with Luis Castillo leading off becasue his OBP was .358. and at 5M this season they could save $$$ Johnny Damon was .359 @ 13MDave Roberts was .360 @ 2.25MJason Kendall was .367 @ 11M (seriously?) A guy hits 1 HR and gets that much? Cripes, Punto hit 1 and he's "only" getting 690k. with a .352 OBPIchiro Suzuki was .370 12.5MI don't know what other lead off hitters were getting.They overpaid for Damon.

Give it up. The money's already spent so thats a nonfactor. Plus I would assume his slugging percentage far dominates the players you mentioned since he hit 25 HRs and I think led the Yanks in 2Bs. Plus hes a great locker room presence. Hes a character guy, something Ive been saying we need more of. So no I disagree with you that we overpaid for Damon.

Damon is a good clubhouse guy but I wouldnt exactly call him a character guy. Wasnt he banging everything that moves while he was still married to his first wife?

 

[Daywalker]

The yanks have obviously underperformed but I wouldn't say they have choked since their last WS title. Playoff baseball is a crapshoot.

Pedro and El Duque go down for the Mets and what do they do? Sweep LA.

Five even seven games is nothing.

Is it really that surprising that Verlander, Rogers and Bonderman beat Unit, Mussina and Lidle? The series was a toss up to begin with.

There are only a few managers alive that I would consider replacing Torre with. Piniella happens to be one of those managers. I think they need a manager with a bit more fire. Someone who will go off sometimes. Can't wait to hear a f-bomb laced tirade against the media and fans when Piniella has to deal with questions about A-rod's performance.

 

[Chase Stuart]

The outfield is set with Cabrera in LF

Can we stop the GD Melky Cabrera hype? Seriously? A corner outfielder with a sub-.400 SLG is being made out to be the key to the Yankees winning the world series in 2007. I'm not picking on shady here, but I've heard lots of Yankees fans say this recently. Note: He's not that good.He's only 21 so you'd hope he gets a lot better, but the 21 year old Melky Cabrera wasn't the answer for the 2006 Yankees. I hope he's the answer for the 2008 or 2009 Yankees. But I'm really sick of the "more Melky Cabreras and less Jason Giambis is what the Yankees need" talk.

 

[TLEF316]

The outfield is set with Cabrera in LF

Can we stop the GD Melky Cabrera hype? Seriously? A corner outfielder with a sub-.400 SLG is being made out to be the key to the Yankees winning the world series in 2007. I'm not picking on shady here, but I've heard lots of Yankees fans say this recently. Note: He's not that good.He's only 21 so you'd hope he gets a lot better, but the 21 year old Melky Cabrera wasn't the answer for the 2006 Yankees. I hope he's the answer for the 2008 or 2009 Yankees. But I'm really sick of the "more Melky Cabreras and less Jason Giambis is what the Yankees need" talk.

I like Melky, although not as much as some others do. IMO, he is a very good fielder and knows how to handle the bat. he got some big hits this year. He's no star, but his power numbers should improve as he gets older. He's the kind of scrappy guy the yanks need to make up for all the big egoes on the team. He's a solid choice to play left and hit 8th or 9th for next year.

 

[Michael Brown]

The outfield is set with Cabrera in LF

A corner outfielder with a sub-.400 SLG is being made out to be the key to the Yankees winning the world series in 2007. Note: He's not that good.

Bernie Williams' first 147 career games:8 HR, 60 RBI, 33 2B, 17-28 SB, .256 BA, 77 BB, 93 K

Melky Cabrera's first 136 career games:

7 HR, 50 RBI, 26 2B, 12-17 SB, .278 BA, 56 BB, 61 K

Bernie was 23 at the time of his debut, Melky 21. And considering Melky is also a switch-hitter who was often compared to Bernie in the minors, I don't think it's crazy to hope he can have the same sort of progression. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think Melky's bat will ever become what Bernie's has. But he's far superior in the field, has a cannon arm, and went through a horrid time his first shot through the majors and came out of it ok. Slugging percentage is but one part of a player, and I think you're vastly underestimating his abilities.

 

[Michael Brown]

This is a complete overreaction. Torre is not the problem with this team. The problem is its a bunch of mercenaries in the lineup. These guys dont really care about each other. There's no life, no energy, no spark. The kind of smiles you seen on the faces of Cano and Cabrera when theyre joking around in the dugout is something missing from pretty much everyone else on the team. IMO the way to build a solid team is from minor league system to fill out the majority of your lineup. Have these guys grow up together and when they make it they'll be pulling for each other. Then with the few holes left in the lineup you fill with free agents that fit your teams philosophy. The bullpen should also be built like this as guys who have struggled in years past sometimes can overcome and have great surprise seasons. The only spot Id fill with free agents is the rotation. Pitching is very hard to predict and I dont mind having a bunch of free agent pitchers in the rotation. Plus starting pitchers are loners by nature. They only have to play once every 5 days and barely talk to other players on the team. But the FA pitchers you sign cant be over the hill and have to have some kind of track record. For example, Barry Zito may be overrated as an ace but he will be a very solid pitcher for the rest of his career, hes fairly young, and he is not injury prone so he would be a solid signing.That being said here is how I solve the Yankees. Alot of it is probably impossible but Ill assume it can be done. They need to unload Giambi, Mussina, Johnson, Wright, and Sheffield. They are too old and dont really care about winning or about theor teammates. Mussina & Johnson are too old, Wright sucks and Giambi cant field. Id try to trade all of these players even if you have to accept back average prospects and pay most of the salary. The outfield is set with Cabrera in LF, Damon in CF, Abreu in RF (solid character guys and all perfect for their roles). Sign an athletic 1B who can field and put Matsui at DH. Resign Bernie (a character guy) as 5th OFer/DH. Keep ARod. Yes I agree he may not be able to cut it but hes still very young and in the prime of his career. Guys like Bruney, Proctor, and Veras need to stay in the bullpen spots. The rotation should be Wang, Zito, a solid innings eater, Pavano (cuz we're stuck with him), and a minor leaguer (Karstens or Hughes if hes ready). I dont mind if they dont make the playoffs next year and rebuilding this team should not take too long cuz they have a solid core and enough minor leaguers to make progress. And they gotta keep Torre. Outside his mismanagement of the bullpen in the regular season he is not to blame for this series.

Damon is really worth the $$$ he's being paid?

No hes probably overpaid but that doesnt mean there isnt a place on this team and that hes not valuable for this team. Part of the reason Jeter had the great year he had was having Damon hit leadoff.

Well he could do the same with Luis Castillo leading off becasue his OBP was .358. and at 5M this season they could save $$$ Johnny Damon was .359 @ 13MDave Roberts was .360 @ 2.25MJason Kendall was .367 @ 11M (seriously?) A guy hits 1 HR and gets that much? Cripes, Punto hit 1 and he's "only" getting 690k. with a .352 OBPIchiro Suzuki was .370 12.5MI don't know what other lead off hitters were getting.They overpaid for Damon.

Give it up. The money's already spent so thats a nonfactor. Plus I would assume his slugging percentage far dominates the players you mentioned since he hit 25 HRs and I think led the Yanks in 2Bs. Plus hes a great locker room presence. Hes a character guy, something Ive been saying we need more of. So no I disagree with you that we overpaid for Damon.

Damon is a good clubhouse guy but I wouldnt exactly call him a character guy. Wasnt he banging everything that moves while he was still married to his first wife?

If avoiding banging everything that moves was a prerequisite for being a good character guy, that would effectively eliminate about 98% of pro athletes from being good character guys.

 

[Michael Brown]

I agree with Yankee23 on loving Torre after initially being thoroughly confused. I don't know anyone who didn't highly question that move, and if you loved the hiring from the outset I'd love to hear your reasons why. He had ZERO track record of success that gave any indication of what he'd become.

That said, Joe Torre gets a ton of credit for the job he did between 1996-2001. He earned his trip to the Hall of Fame during that run, and was recognized as one of the best managers ever. Not that people didn't give credit to the team, but he had tons of accolades bestowed upon him.

Fast-forward 5 years. Now there are people defending Torre, claiming that he had nothing to do with this latest loss and that it's all on the players. Now I'm going to steal a line from Mike Lupica here, but you can't only praise him when the team does well. If he's going to get credit when they win, then by rule he has to accept part of the blame/responsibility when things go wrong and they lose. Otherwise, it's about the worst double-standard there is.

Anyway, a guy I work with has a theory. When Torre was hired, he was surrounded by high-strung, volatile personalities (Wells, Clemens, Pettitte, Tino, O'Neill, Cone, and so on). His calming demeanor and influence over the clubhouse kept things on an even keel. But now, there are few fiery guys. About the most charged up you'll see is Jorge Posada fling his bat or scream at Pedro Martinez. In essence, the Yankees have become a team full of Joe Torres. A bunch of guys who are seemingly lethargic and smooth in everything they do, so much so that the team has lost its fire. Enter Lou Piniella.

And make no mistake, it will be Piniella and not Girardi. I don't think the Yanks could pass over Mattingly for Joe G as manager, because Girardi is young and would seemingly want to be there for an extended period of time. Lou probably has about 2, 3 years tops with this squad before he would move on. I think he just wants one shot to win it in NY. Girardi has played with several guys on this team, and I don't know that the change from Torre to Girardi makes any sense. It's basically like replacing Torre with a younger Torre.

I think Lou is hired as manager, they give him 2-3 years (his decision) to win a title, Lou makes Mattingly his bench coach, and when Lou goes Mattingly slides in as the next manager.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

This is a complete overreaction. Torre is not the problem with this team. The problem is its a bunch of mercenaries in the lineup. These guys dont really care about each other. There's no life, no energy, no spark. The kind of smiles you seen on the faces of Cano and Cabrera when theyre joking around in the dugout is something missing from pretty much everyone else on the team. IMO the way to build a solid team is from minor league system to fill out the majority of your lineup. Have these guys grow up together and when they make it they'll be pulling for each other. Then with the few holes left in the lineup you fill with free agents that fit your teams philosophy. The bullpen should also be built like this as guys who have struggled in years past sometimes can overcome and have great surprise seasons. The only spot Id fill with free agents is the rotation. Pitching is very hard to predict and I dont mind having a bunch of free agent pitchers in the rotation. Plus starting pitchers are loners by nature. They only have to play once every 5 days and barely talk to other players on the team. But the FA pitchers you sign cant be over the hill and have to have some kind of track record. For example, Barry Zito may be overrated as an ace but he will be a very solid pitcher for the rest of his career, hes fairly young, and he is not injury prone so he would be a solid signing.That being said here is how I solve the Yankees. Alot of it is probably impossible but Ill assume it can be done. They need to unload Giambi, Mussina, Johnson, Wright, and Sheffield. They are too old and dont really care about winning or about theor teammates. Mussina & Johnson are too old, Wright sucks and Giambi cant field. Id try to trade all of these players even if you have to accept back average prospects and pay most of the salary. The outfield is set with Cabrera in LF, Damon in CF, Abreu in RF (solid character guys and all perfect for their roles). Sign an athletic 1B who can field and put Matsui at DH. Resign Bernie (a character guy) as 5th OFer/DH. Keep ARod. Yes I agree he may not be able to cut it but hes still very young and in the prime of his career. Guys like Bruney, Proctor, and Veras need to stay in the bullpen spots. The rotation should be Wang, Zito, a solid innings eater, Pavano (cuz we're stuck with him), and a minor leaguer (Karstens or Hughes if hes ready). I dont mind if they dont make the playoffs next year and rebuilding this team should not take too long cuz they have a solid core and enough minor leaguers to make progress. And they gotta keep Torre. Outside his mismanagement of the bullpen in the regular season he is not to blame for this series.

Damon is really worth the $$$ he's being paid?

No hes probably overpaid but that doesnt mean there isnt a place on this team and that hes not valuable for this team. Part of the reason Jeter had the great year he had was having Damon hit leadoff.

Well he could do the same with Luis Castillo leading off becasue his OBP was .358. and at 5M this season they could save $$$ Johnny Damon was .359 @ 13MDave Roberts was .360 @ 2.25MJason Kendall was .367 @ 11M (seriously?) A guy hits 1 HR and gets that much? Cripes, Punto hit 1 and he's "only" getting 690k. with a .352 OBPIchiro Suzuki was .370 12.5MI don't know what other lead off hitters were getting.They overpaid for Damon.

Give it up. The money's already spent so thats a nonfactor. Plus I would assume his slugging percentage far dominates the players you mentioned since he hit 25 HRs and I think led the Yanks in 2Bs. Plus hes a great locker room presence. Hes a character guy, something Ive been saying we need more of. So no I disagree with you that we overpaid for Damon.

You honestly think Damon is worth 13M a year?That must be some really REALLY good #### your smoking.

 

[thesurfshop19]

You honestly think Damon is worth 13M a year?That must be some really REALLY good #### your smoking.

I think he's saying the money is not important, and the Yankees were willing to overpay "true value" in order to get a character guy who brings with him more than just his production.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

 

[Mystery Achiever]

I love when Francesca is wrong. Esp after he had all baseball on The NFL Now on Sunday.....

"NEW YORK -- Joe Torre will continue to be manager of the New York Yankees.

"I just got off the phone with George Steinbrenner and he told me I'll be the manager next year," Torre said Tuesday during a gathering with reporters at Yankee Stadium.

Thus apparently ends three days of speculation about the future of Torre, who has managed the Yankees to four World Series titles and six American League pennants in 11 seasons.

"I'm very excited about it," Torre said. "This has been the best job of my life."

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/...sp&c_id=nyy

 

[Michael Brown]

I love when Francesca is wrong. Esp after he had all baseball on The NFL Now on Sunday.....

"NEW YORK -- Joe Torre will continue to be manager of the New York Yankees.

"I just got off the phone with George Steinbrenner and he told me I'll be the manager next year," Torre said Tuesday during a gathering with reporters at Yankee Stadium.

Thus apparently ends three days of speculation about the future of Torre, who has managed the Yankees to four World Series titles and six American League pennants in 11 seasons.

"I'm very excited about it," Torre said. "This has been the best job of my life."

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/...sp&c_id=nyy

Francesa wasn't wrong. He broke the story about Torre coming back.

 

[Please See Mine]

I love when Francesca is wrong. Esp after he had all baseball on The NFL Now on Sunday.....

"NEW YORK -- Joe Torre will continue to be manager of the New York Yankees.

"I just got off the phone with George Steinbrenner and he told me I'll be the manager next year," Torre said Tuesday during a gathering with reporters at Yankee Stadium.

Thus apparently ends three days of speculation about the future of Torre, who has managed the Yankees to four World Series titles and six American League pennants in 11 seasons.

"I'm very excited about it," Torre said. "This has been the best job of my life."

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/...sp&c_id=nyy

He had Bill Madden on with the story. How was Francesa wrong?

 

[Mystery Achiever]

He had Bill Madden on with the story. How was Francesa wrong?

okay, okay i stretched;i was bitter about no football coverage. but all (sunday) morning he kept saying that if maddden said it, it would happen (paraphrasing).

 

[ThisGuy]

Do any of the jagoffs at the Daily News loose their heads over this??

 

[Michael Brown]

Do any of the jagoffs at the Daily News loose their heads over this??

Speculation, but the theory is that Steinbrenner got Madden's ear Saturday night and told him that Torre was getting axed. Madden had no choice but to run with the story after being told firsthand that Joe was gone. But during the weekend, the Yankee front office guys convinced Steinbrenner to give Torre another shot.With that, can everyone please cool it with the "blowhard Steinbrenner is overreacting again" comments once and for all? It's not 1988 anymore, and he hasn't changed managers for 12 years now.

 

[The Jerminator]

Do any of the jagoffs at the Daily News loose their heads over this??

Speculation, but the theory is that Steinbrenner got Madden's ear Saturday night and told him that Torre was getting axed. Madden had no choice but to run with the story after being told firsthand that Joe was gone. But during the weekend, the Yankee front office guys convinced Steinbrenner to give Torre another shot.With that, can everyone please cool it with the "blowhard Steinbrenner is overreacting again" comments once and for all? It's not 1988 anymore, and he hasn't changed managers for 12 years now.

I'm no Yankee (or Steinbrenner) fan, but shouldn't George have made a move after the loss to Detroit?I think this is the ideal time to make the move, how long is Torre going to stick around anyway? One more year? What's the point?

He's been bounced out of the first round of the playoffs the last two years by the Angels and the Tigers!!! This is NOT OK!

Torre was great 10 years ago managing with all those egos paired up with gamers from the now depleated Yankee farm system. Now that he has ALL egos and one or two gamers he's not much of a skipper. Who's to say they don't get bounced in Rd. 1 next year, too?

Do you really think the players will "rally" around Torre now? I doubt it.

Torre wasn't necessarily the problem (he's a fine manager under the right circumstances) but he's CLEARLY not the solution the Yankees need.

:SCOREBOARD:

George should have wacked him...

 

[Michael Brown]

Do any of the jagoffs at the Daily News loose their heads over this??

Speculation, but the theory is that Steinbrenner got Madden's ear Saturday night and told him that Torre was getting axed. Madden had no choice but to run with the story after being told firsthand that Joe was gone. But during the weekend, the Yankee front office guys convinced Steinbrenner to give Torre another shot.With that, can everyone please cool it with the "blowhard Steinbrenner is overreacting again" comments once and for all? It's not 1988 anymore, and he hasn't changed managers for 12 years now.

I'm no Yankee (or Steinbrenner) fan, but shouldn't George have made a move after the loss to Detroit?I think this is the ideal time to make the move, how long is Torre going to stick around anyway? One more year? What's the point?

He's been bounced out of the first round of the playoffs the last two years by the Angels and the Tigers!!! This is NOT OK!

Torre was great 10 years ago managing with all those egos paired up with gamers from the now depleated Yankee farm system. Now that he has ALL egos and one or two gamers he's not much of a skipper. Who's to say they don't get bounced in Rd. 1 next year, too?

Do you really think the players will "rally" around Torre now? I doubt it.

Torre wasn't necessarily the problem (he's a fine manager under the right circumstances) but he's CLEARLY not the solution the Yankees need.

:SCOREBOARD:

George should have wacked him...

Maybe, I could have seen it argued either way. My theory is that it probably was the right time to make a move. But that being said, I'm attached to Torre. You see a clip of Yankee classic moments on YES and see Torre crying and waving to the fans after the 2000 World Series and think of all he's done for the team. Bad decision or not, I like that Torre will get one last shot at going out a winner.I'm saying this with my heart more than my head and they probably should fire him, but at least this enhances the chances of trading A-Rod for some pitching. With Lou in town, there's no way A-Rod was going anywhere.

 

[The Jerminator]

Do any of the jagoffs at the Daily News loose their heads over this??

Speculation, but the theory is that Steinbrenner got Madden's ear Saturday night and told him that Torre was getting axed. Madden had no choice but to run with the story after being told firsthand that Joe was gone. But during the weekend, the Yankee front office guys convinced Steinbrenner to give Torre another shot.With that, can everyone please cool it with the "blowhard Steinbrenner is overreacting again" comments once and for all? It's not 1988 anymore, and he hasn't changed managers for 12 years now.

I'm no Yankee (or Steinbrenner) fan, but shouldn't George have made a move after the loss to Detroit?I think this is the ideal time to make the move, how long is Torre going to stick around anyway? One more year? What's the point?

He's been bounced out of the first round of the playoffs the last two years by the Angels and the Tigers!!! This is NOT OK!

Torre was great 10 years ago managing with all those egos paired up with gamers from the now depleated Yankee farm system. Now that he has ALL egos and one or two gamers he's not much of a skipper. Who's to say they don't get bounced in Rd. 1 next year, too?

Do you really think the players will "rally" around Torre now? I doubt it.

Torre wasn't necessarily the problem (he's a fine manager under the right circumstances) but he's CLEARLY not the solution the Yankees need.

:SCOREBOARD:

George should have wacked him...

Maybe, I could have seen it argued either way. My theory is that it probably was the right time to make a move. But that being said, I'm attached to Torre. You see a clip of Yankee classic moments on YES and see Torre crying and waving to the fans after the 2000 World Series and think of all he's done for the team. Bad decision or not, I like that Torre will get one last shot at going out a winner.I'm saying this with my heart more than my head and they probably should fire him, but at least this enhances the chances of trading A-Rod for some pitching. With Lou in town, there's no way A-Rod was going anywhere.

But if Pinella could have gotten .325 45 HR 140 RBI out of A-Rod shouldn't he be the guy? Nobody is going to give up any REAL pitching for A-Rod now. Remember, there were ZERO 20 winners this year!Axe Torre, Sign Zito and get A-Rod head screwed on right = CHAMPIONSHIP. Torre's not in that mix...