Torre's Decision Best For Both Sides

Joe Torre's essential resignation this afternoon marks a sad day for myself and all people associated with the orgranization. That being said, I do believe Torre's decision to decline the Yankees embarrassing offer was best for both sides. The Yankees, Randy Levine in particular, should be ASHAMED with how they handled this situation. And that's where I'll start when explaining why this decision is best for both the Yankees and Joe Torre.

Regarding Joe Torre, this is the right decision for a number of reasons, but I'll just highlight one: had he accepted a one year contract today, the countdown to his firing would've immediatly begun. A one year contract, especially for managers, basically says you're hired, but you're fired at the first sign of trouble. It's no secret that everyone in the Yankees front office, sans Brian Cashman, didn't want Torre back. There is no question that if the Yanks got off to a slow start in '08, which has become commonplace over the past four years, Torre would've been fired before June. He didn't deserve such treatment and therefore his reason to turn down the offer was justified. I don't feel I need to get into the numbers of the deal because that is all you'll hear for the next few days, but just know that for a man of Torre's stature, the numbers were insulting enough for Torre to walk away.

From the Yankees point of view, Torre's decision was the best case scenario for no reason other then it was time for a change. Clearly they too felt this way, otherwise they wouldn't have lowballed Torre to the point where it became obvious they wanted him out. But I do believe the Yankees organization needs a new leader. It has become clear through the lack of progress in the last three postseasons that the Yankee players need to hear a new voice. You know when a team goes into the postseason as Major League Baseball's hottest team and flame's out in the first round to a lesser opponent that something just isn't right. I know the Yankees have a flawed pitching staff, but pitching hasn't been the team's reason for success since 2001. Their bread and butter has been the offense and the same lineup that carried them from April 'til late September was the same lineup that couldn't hit a basketball if it were pitched right down the plate in October. Joe Torre was admirable in digging the Yankees out of their early holes and most analysts will argue until they're blue in the face that the team would've folded by early July if they were under any manager other than Torre. Thay may be true, but if that were all his doing, couldn't those same magic words or managing styles have saved the Yankees from another early exit this past October? Joe Torre had taken this group as far as he could and it was time for a change.

I love Joe Torre. His first year as manager in '95 was the first year I began following baseball, so him at the helm is all I know. I will miss Torre for the same reasons that every Yankees fan will miss him. I think baseball will miss him as well, but I don't think the team will miss him as much as people think, provided Rivera, Posada, and Pettitte don't go elsewhere as a result of him being gone (that has already been added to my nightly prayers). The Yankees are loaded with talent and that will not change. They need to choose a manager that is the opposite of Torre, an in your face Lou Pinella type, because it will be a different voice for the players to hear. Going out and hiring a manager that poses as Torre (Don Mattingly), or a manager strikingly similar to Torre (Tony LaRussa), would do the franchise no good because no one is better at managing like Joe Torre then Joe Torre. Hopefully Joe finds happiness in Maui or wherever he ends up, and here's to hoping the Yankees make the right choice.

Until next time,
DTM