Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Kevin: Say is ain't so Joe
Will the Yankees part ways with Joe Torre? It's today's 7 million dollar question. For my money (and no, I do not have 7 mill sitting around for anything... much less a manager's salary), he's worth it.
I know the Yankees have lost in the divisional playoffs three straight years. I know the Yankees have not won a World Series since 2000. And I know, the Boss is restless. But let's look at what Torrre has done in his tenure as Yankees skipper and what has changed about his ball club.
In 12 seasons as Yankees manager, Torre's teams have gone to 12 straight playoffs. And he's not Bobby Cox and the Braves. Torre led the Yankees to four World Titles in that time and 6 trips to the Fall Classic.
All the while, he has soothed over countless behind the scenes ego driven problems. How do I know? It's the Yankees. Between the Boss, the payroll, the media, the fans and all of the frenzy, it is simply amazing there have not been more controversies in his 12 years.
The credit belongs to Torre for that. It is not unlike counter terrorism efforts. They go unnoticed, but they happen everyday. Would Tony La Russa handle the media in New York, the ego's and the Boss that well. Please. He can't handle a couple of soft ball questions from the St. Louis media.
If you want to change the Yankees, change it this way. Not with the Manager. Not even with the lineup. David Cone, El Duque, David Wells, Andy Pettitte---none of these guys would have imploded in the playoffs twice in one series like Wang did. If you want to bring back the Yankees of the late 90's, continue to develop and acquire top level starting pitching. And leave Joba Chamberlin right where he is. Joba should eventually replace Mariano Rivera as the Yanks closer--a position as hard to fill as a dominant ace.
Lastly, I will say this. Joe Torre probably got too much credit when the Yankees won. And now, he's probably taking too much of the blame. Torre's legacy will be much like Jim Calhoun's someday: not fully appreciated until they're gone. The Yankees are gone from the playoffs. The manager should stay.
I know the Yankees have lost in the divisional playoffs three straight years. I know the Yankees have not won a World Series since 2000. And I know, the Boss is restless. But let's look at what Torrre has done in his tenure as Yankees skipper and what has changed about his ball club.
In 12 seasons as Yankees manager, Torre's teams have gone to 12 straight playoffs. And he's not Bobby Cox and the Braves. Torre led the Yankees to four World Titles in that time and 6 trips to the Fall Classic.
All the while, he has soothed over countless behind the scenes ego driven problems. How do I know? It's the Yankees. Between the Boss, the payroll, the media, the fans and all of the frenzy, it is simply amazing there have not been more controversies in his 12 years.
The credit belongs to Torre for that. It is not unlike counter terrorism efforts. They go unnoticed, but they happen everyday. Would Tony La Russa handle the media in New York, the ego's and the Boss that well. Please. He can't handle a couple of soft ball questions from the St. Louis media.
If you want to change the Yankees, change it this way. Not with the Manager. Not even with the lineup. David Cone, El Duque, David Wells, Andy Pettitte---none of these guys would have imploded in the playoffs twice in one series like Wang did. If you want to bring back the Yankees of the late 90's, continue to develop and acquire top level starting pitching. And leave Joba Chamberlin right where he is. Joba should eventually replace Mariano Rivera as the Yanks closer--a position as hard to fill as a dominant ace.
Lastly, I will say this. Joe Torre probably got too much credit when the Yankees won. And now, he's probably taking too much of the blame. Torre's legacy will be much like Jim Calhoun's someday: not fully appreciated until they're gone. The Yankees are gone from the playoffs. The manager should stay.
Posted at 4:42 PM by kevin
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