Torre turns down the Yankees

Except the Yankees will probably make the playoffs the next 10 years without Torre. It wasn't managerial genius. It was market inequity. And that remains.

 

Boom, the organization spent three seasons criticizing Torre with the YES Network, the faceless cowards in Tampa and The Big Adult Diaper. Torre never said a retaliatory word.

Torre never lost "face." The Yanks have long since lost their dignity and class.

 

Yes, the 1980s were a dark period. Hiring an alcoholic Billy Martin several times. Billy Connors and Art Fowler as pitching coaches. Murray Cook as General Manager. Dallas Green brought in to set things straight. Steve Kemp, Jack Clark, Shane Rawley. My memory has probably forgotten other things, which is fortunate. Twas a horrible time for Yankee fans.

 

When the Yankees were 14 1/2 games out in June, did you think they would make the playoffs? More than anyone else in that organization, Torre deserves credit for the Yankees getting to October.

 

The Yankees won something like 92 games this year (somebody correct me if I don't have the exact figure). With the pitching prospects and possibly losing some veterans to free agency, I don't think it is reasonable that without some change, the Yankees would win 90 games next year.

 

No question the Yankees have a huge advantage, but just spending money doesn't guarantee anything. The Yankees had spent big money on teams that sucked, too.

Torre was a great fit for the organization and he came along at the perfect time.

 

Torre TV:

Presser live on NY TV channels!

 

I've got it on radio. Did I hear it right that he called the incentives "insulting?"

 

Yes he did.


Said it was insulting to think after 12 years he needed to be "motivated by incentives"

 

$5 million base salary apparently not enough motivation

 

Are you serious? With that pitching rotation?

 

"$5 million is a lot of money. But when they offer you a pay cut -- no matter how much they're paying you -- it's a sign that they're not happy with the job you're doing."

Later:

"If they really wanted me to be the manager here, I'd still be the manager here."