TwitterLet The Madness Begin!
24 Jun 2010
Which will be stranger tomorrow night- the sight of Torre in a Dodgers’ uniform or the sight of Mattingly in a Dodgers’ uniform? For me, and I imagine many others, it will be Mattingly, but that is purely a function of never having seen him wearing anything else. But the thing about Mattingly is, you can picture his return to Yankee Stadium some day in the future. Whenever Donald Arthur decides to hang it up on the coaching circuit, you know he will immediately jump to the back-5 of the line on Old Timer’s’ Day. (Ten years from now you have to imagine Mattingly is right back there with Jeter and Rivera)
But what will become of Torre? The divorce from the Yankees was ugly. The book he wrote fed into everything that Yankees’ management said about him after he left. Yet for all his faults, and there were many in the later years, Torre handled the job with class and dignity. (Until he had the book published) He was the one who stepped in front of the players when George came into the clubhouse like a hurricane. He is the reason that Jeter, Pettitte, Posada and Rivera grew into the players they did. The Yankees have been petty and foolish since he left. Yes, it was ultimately his choice, but the Yankees also didn’t give him a lot of options. For his part, Torre should stop telling confidants that he will never set foot in the new place.
And, October 18, 2007 is a long time ago. (Long time readers, should check that link out, since you will see your comments on that date) The Yankees have won a World Series while Torre has had a lot of success in LA. This seems like a good chance for both sides to find common ground. Can you imagine Joe Torre ever being elected to the Hall Of Fame without having managed the Yankees? Likewise, can you imagine the Yankees winning those four titles without Torre at the helm? It’s not a stretch to imagine that it’s 2010 in an alternate universe and the Yankees just won title #23 and Joe Torre is a very popular broadcaster for the Cardinals. It’s time to put it all to rest. Both sides need to make peace and move forward. The Yankees could announce that Joe Torre is welcome back to New York whenever he wishes to return. Torre could speak about how much he is looking forward to seeing Yankee Stadium in person some day. A guy can dream I guess.
Jun 24, 2010 @ 22:37:46
I suspect/hope that Torre will, one day, come back to the Stadium and I also suspect/hope that the ovation he gets there will be a huge one. At some point, it becomes time to move past hurt feelings.
Looking at those posts of ours? I think the way he was canned is STILL not the way it should have been handled. And Torre, for his part, should have thought a longer and harder about some of the things he let get written in his book. I suspect that JT and A-Rod will never be “best buddies”.
Jun 24, 2010 @ 22:40:55
Here’s an odd question for you Peter: would you want Torre to come back to replace Girardi now? I know I wouldn’t but how about you?
Jun 24, 2010 @ 23:16:15
Mitchell
Nope
The thing I like about Girardi is that he is willing to put a young guy in there and see what happens. He will even stick with that young guy through bumps and bruises. And, while it does drive me nuts from time-to-time, Girardi is smart to protect his relievers.
I would be willing to bet that Brett Gardner isn’t the player he is today with Torre managing. Same thing with Hughes and I don’t think we would have even heard of Cervelli with Torre managing.
That being said, will Girardi still manage like this in ten years?
Jun 25, 2010 @ 00:14:25
That is a really interesting question about Girardi in 10 years, Peter. I dunno, haven’t even got a guess – but I think a lot of that would depend on Cashman remaining GM and Hank staying away from the club and all microphones.
Jun 25, 2010 @ 12:23:39
If I had to bet, I think Cashman walks after the 2011 season. I would double down on that bet if the Yankees win a championship between now and then.
Jun 25, 2010 @ 20:11:56
Hmmm, I think I would take that bet, loser having to buy Nathan’s at The Stadium. Here’s why I’d think he sticks as GM:
I think Cashman’s job got much easier the moment George got sick enough to be ignored and Hank was muzzled by Hal. Secondly, I think he’s wearing golden handcuffs that will only be upgraded to platinum at some point in the near future. Last – being the GM for the Yankees is the pinnacle of his profession; there’s no place to go but down.
Hey, I could be wrong – but I’m willing to risk it.
The sons have zero interest in running a ball club – the only Steinbrenner who had a belly fire for meddling in a club (and, man oh man did he ever meddle) was the old man. It’s easier to give Cashman a few extra mill than get involved in running a sports business.
What I CAN see happening is Cashman being the front man to a group approaching the family to buy the team. THAT I could see happening one day.
Jun 25, 2010 @ 20:40:45
Good reasons, but I still think he only came back to answer those critics who said he hadn’t built a winner in awhile and now that he has he will.
But, I am willing to put a Nathan’s on the line if you are.
Jun 25, 2010 @ 23:30:44
You’re on: Nathan’s @ the Stadium, Cashman is Yankees GM in ’12. I say yes, Peter says no.
Jun 26, 2010 @ 19:25:03
I’ll meet you at the bat….