Joe Torre was supposed to be the man who was great under pressure, was always calm, cool and collected as he handled the pressures of the New York media. Well, for his sake, after the garbage he put out, in what he calls a book, in "The Yankee Years," he better put those skills to use and fast unless he wants to get eaten up by New York more than he already has.
I didn't want to make too much out of what is being talked about with Torre's book as I have not yet read it - just read the excerpts released as many of you have surely have read as well. However, it leaves a nasty and vile taste in your mouth when a former manager brings up any personal clubhouse information.
I didn't want to make too much out of what is being talked about with Torre's book as I have not yet read it - just read the excerpts released as many of you have surely have read as well. However, it leaves a nasty and vile taste in your mouth when a former manager brings up any personal clubhouse information.
From what was released, this book has just gone above and beyond bad taste and stupidity. I guess he wanted to live up to the name "Clueless Joe" that he was anointed with when he came to the Bronx back in 1996.
I don't care whether it is true that Alex Rodriguez was referred to as "A-Fraud" or if Torre felt he was a glory hog or felt A-Rod was threatened by Derek Jeter. It is all just in bad taste to bring this all out. Especially, it is not like either of these men are retired or out of the game.
These remarks just spoils both men's reputations. A-Rod is made out to look like a jealous fool and Torre looks like an uncaring man and coach who is willing to throw someone under the bus to sell some books. Think how his current players must feel every time they sit down for a meeting or sit around the clubhouse maybe wondering if Torre is listening in taking notes for his next book. He violated the "sanctity" of clubhouse in this book, why wouldn't he do it again?
Look, it is one thing to take some shots at the management after a strange departure in which Torre supposedly felt unappreciated or insulted or felt that management did not trust him or whatever the case was when they offered him a one year deal worth five million dollars with different incentives in the chance of a playoff run.
But even that is "shotty." Torre came to the right place at the right time. I have been saying since probably 2003 - Torre came into a team filled with All-Stars and ANYONE could have won with the teams he has had over the years. Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte were just a few rising stars out of the system when Torre arrived. Then, there were others that came along throughout the years such as Alfonso Soriano, Robinson Cano, Ramiro Mendoza, Scott Proctor, Chien-Ming Wang, Ted Lilly and so many others that it isn't funny. However, being part of the Yankees, he never had to worry about talent.
The Yankees spent money when Torre was manager like they did this last off-season - as if they had never ending pockets. Just to name a few big names (while not all of them worked out perfect) who could forget guys like Tino Martinez, Jason Giambi, Chuck Knoblauch, Mike Stanley, Wade Boggs, Jimmy Key, David Cone, John Wetteland, Paul O'Neill, Jeff Nelson, Kenny Rogers, David Wells, Cecil Fielder, El Duke, Scott Brosius, Chili Davis, Tim Raines, Darryl Strawberry, Roger Clemens, David Justice, Mike Mussina, Robin Ventura, Tom Gordon, Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson, Javier Vazquez, Kenny Lofton, Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui, Bobby Abreu, Johnny Damon, and of course "A-Fraud" himself, Alex Rodriguez.
How many managers were able to say they had talent like this on their roster year in and year out. I am sick of it! People say Torre is a Hall Of Fame manager! WHY?! Tell me why. Is it because he handled the media well? If that is all he has, then he has nothing. Anyone who was manager could have won four rings in 12 years with players like this if not more. He let the 2001 World Series slip away despite all the talent in the world. It looked like the team was flat in the 2003 World Series. He was part of the biggest collapse in 2004 - let's not even re-hatch that conversation. And he placed Alex Rodriguez at the number eight spot in the order in the 2006 playoffs against Detroit. Tell me that isn't just sending out a surrender sign when you place one of the best hitters in baseball at the very bottom of your line-up. And how many times in those 12 years did the Yankees get knocked out in the first round? To answer the question, four times (2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007). One quarter of the time he could not make it out of the first round of the playoffs.
So, why was an incentive laden contract an insult? It wasn't. Five million dollars was a gift and he was a fool to walk away from it. Everyone said Torre could win in Los Angeles with a young team. I think everyone forgot that despite being in the absolute worst division in baseball by far he barely managed to have a .500 record and sneak into the playoffs and that was only after a few giant acquisitions were made, mainly in Manny Ramirez, but let us not forget about Casey Blake. And even with them, if the Diamondbacks didn't completely fall apart, the Dodgers would have never been close to the playoffs. But, to my chagrin, they made it and took advantage of a flat Cubs team who had known they had won the division practically since the All-Star break but then just like all the teams "Good Old Joe" has managed the past seven years, they folded in five games in the NLCS.
And, just like in Cleveland in 2007 when the Yankees were being mauled by insects all Torre could do was sit on his rear and watch on with his stupid patented and all together uninspiring expressionless face as his team failed once again folded in the playoffs. So, before he starts to call out players and owners and management, maybe he needs to look at his history, what the Yankees gave him and then maybe he will realize the only person he should be calling a fraud is himself. He was able to hide behind talent and money but that pretty much disappeared when he left the Yankees. And, just as that disappeared, now, so has all respect for Joe.
I don't care whether it is true that Alex Rodriguez was referred to as "A-Fraud" or if Torre felt he was a glory hog or felt A-Rod was threatened by Derek Jeter. It is all just in bad taste to bring this all out. Especially, it is not like either of these men are retired or out of the game.
These remarks just spoils both men's reputations. A-Rod is made out to look like a jealous fool and Torre looks like an uncaring man and coach who is willing to throw someone under the bus to sell some books. Think how his current players must feel every time they sit down for a meeting or sit around the clubhouse maybe wondering if Torre is listening in taking notes for his next book. He violated the "sanctity" of clubhouse in this book, why wouldn't he do it again?
Look, it is one thing to take some shots at the management after a strange departure in which Torre supposedly felt unappreciated or insulted or felt that management did not trust him or whatever the case was when they offered him a one year deal worth five million dollars with different incentives in the chance of a playoff run.
But even that is "shotty." Torre came to the right place at the right time. I have been saying since probably 2003 - Torre came into a team filled with All-Stars and ANYONE could have won with the teams he has had over the years. Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte were just a few rising stars out of the system when Torre arrived. Then, there were others that came along throughout the years such as Alfonso Soriano, Robinson Cano, Ramiro Mendoza, Scott Proctor, Chien-Ming Wang, Ted Lilly and so many others that it isn't funny. However, being part of the Yankees, he never had to worry about talent.
The Yankees spent money when Torre was manager like they did this last off-season - as if they had never ending pockets. Just to name a few big names (while not all of them worked out perfect) who could forget guys like Tino Martinez, Jason Giambi, Chuck Knoblauch, Mike Stanley, Wade Boggs, Jimmy Key, David Cone, John Wetteland, Paul O'Neill, Jeff Nelson, Kenny Rogers, David Wells, Cecil Fielder, El Duke, Scott Brosius, Chili Davis, Tim Raines, Darryl Strawberry, Roger Clemens, David Justice, Mike Mussina, Robin Ventura, Tom Gordon, Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson, Javier Vazquez, Kenny Lofton, Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui, Bobby Abreu, Johnny Damon, and of course "A-Fraud" himself, Alex Rodriguez.
How many managers were able to say they had talent like this on their roster year in and year out. I am sick of it! People say Torre is a Hall Of Fame manager! WHY?! Tell me why. Is it because he handled the media well? If that is all he has, then he has nothing. Anyone who was manager could have won four rings in 12 years with players like this if not more. He let the 2001 World Series slip away despite all the talent in the world. It looked like the team was flat in the 2003 World Series. He was part of the biggest collapse in 2004 - let's not even re-hatch that conversation. And he placed Alex Rodriguez at the number eight spot in the order in the 2006 playoffs against Detroit. Tell me that isn't just sending out a surrender sign when you place one of the best hitters in baseball at the very bottom of your line-up. And how many times in those 12 years did the Yankees get knocked out in the first round? To answer the question, four times (2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007). One quarter of the time he could not make it out of the first round of the playoffs.
So, why was an incentive laden contract an insult? It wasn't. Five million dollars was a gift and he was a fool to walk away from it. Everyone said Torre could win in Los Angeles with a young team. I think everyone forgot that despite being in the absolute worst division in baseball by far he barely managed to have a .500 record and sneak into the playoffs and that was only after a few giant acquisitions were made, mainly in Manny Ramirez, but let us not forget about Casey Blake. And even with them, if the Diamondbacks didn't completely fall apart, the Dodgers would have never been close to the playoffs. But, to my chagrin, they made it and took advantage of a flat Cubs team who had known they had won the division practically since the All-Star break but then just like all the teams "Good Old Joe" has managed the past seven years, they folded in five games in the NLCS.
And, just like in Cleveland in 2007 when the Yankees were being mauled by insects all Torre could do was sit on his rear and watch on with his stupid patented and all together uninspiring expressionless face as his team failed once again folded in the playoffs. So, before he starts to call out players and owners and management, maybe he needs to look at his history, what the Yankees gave him and then maybe he will realize the only person he should be calling a fraud is himself. He was able to hide behind talent and money but that pretty much disappeared when he left the Yankees. And, just as that disappeared, now, so has all respect for Joe.
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