Who's the Bad Guy Now?

There's been an awful lot of fallout concerning the Yankees' handling of the Joe Torre situation. Much of the media angle has been to slam the Yanks, but I'd say there's widespread support for what the team did, too. The irony, though, is that I don't think what the Yankees did actually affected anyone's opinion. If you thought Joe should stay, then you were offended by the Yankees non-offer and applaud Joe for turning them down. On the other hand, if you thought it was time to turn the page on Ol' Joe, then you thought allowing him to remain the highest-paid manager in baseball while expecting a little success in return was more than fair. It fit each scenario nicely, which I suppose is as well as the Yankees could have played this.

I, for one, was staunchly in the "Joe Must Go" camp and felt the Yanks offer was more than fair. Look, is it so wrong to ask the man in charge of baseball's highest-paid collection of talent to win something every once in a while? All I keep hearing is "12 playoff appearances, 6 World Series, 4 Championships." Very nice. Joe's a Hall-of-Famer, but as the "What have you done for me lately?" crowd will exclaim, Joe's success has been very much front-loaded. Three straight first-round losses, not to mention the historic 2004 collapse that preceded them, is a cause for concern.

As for the offer itself, I understand, on the face, the notion of the pay cut being an insult. If my employer (with whom, by the way, I don't have a contract) told me he was going to cut my salary from $75,000 to $50,000 next year, that would definitely irk me. If, however, he said I could earn $10,000 bonuses based on hitting a few milestones, to the point where I might actually exceed my original salary, then maybe it's not so bad. And really, isn't winning a playoff series or two a reasonable expectation? If it's good enough for Les Moonves, then it should be good enough for Joe.

Screw Mariano, Too

Well, this was inevitable. Now Mariano Rivera is throwing his two cents into the Save Torre / Ditch Torre debate:

"I don't feel good about it," Rivera said Wednesday, two days after the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs. "I don't see why they're even thinking (about letting Torre go). I wish he's back, definitely. If you ask me what I would want, I want him back."

OK, fine, defend your manager. I get it -- players love Joe, he's the only major league manager Mariano's ever had. But here's where the story turns south for me:

Rivera's contract also is expiring and he is eligible to become a free agent. He said whether Torre returns will help determine whether he remains with the Yankees.

"It might do a lot of it," he said. "I mean, I've been with Joe for so many years, and the kind of person he has been for me and for my teammates. It's been great. The thing is that I don't see why they have to put him in this position."

So not only is Mariano demanding a new contract on his terms, but now he's running the team, too? If that's his attitude -- and frankly, I haven't been too fond of his attitude in recent years -- then Mariano also should start looking for new houses. Maybe he and Joe could share a place in St. Louis. (I hear they may be looking for a new manager, soon.)

After all, Mariano started whining about this in spring training, when he got all uppity about the Yankees refusal to offer him an extension:

"The Yankees always knew that I wanted to be with the Yankees and finish my career with the Yankees," he said. "If they don't want to do [anything] with me, I'm not go home crying. I'm going to move on."

Really, Mariano? Seeing as how you haven't had to close out any World Series wins lately, I'm thinking that if you're so flummoxed with the Yanks then maybe it's time to part ways. Closers have a limited shelf life; while Mariano has certainly extended his, there's going to come a day when he goes from extraordinary to just plain ordinary and the Yankees shouldn't be stuck with the bill. (Thank you, Roger, you can put your hand down now.)

I'm all for players getting paid. Okay, I'm not all for it -- to me, there's something unseemly about fleeing a city and the fans that have embraced you for so long over a few extra million, considering the utter largess these athletes command. There's something refreshing about the "home-team discount", a player realizing that he's made more money in his career than anyone who plays a game for a living has a right to, and that maybe taking "only" $12 million per year is worth more in goodwill than the $14 million he might get elsewhere. If Mariano wants to play the field, more power to him. Just don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

Housecleaning in the Bronx

Here’s a question: if King George doesn’t threaten Joe Torre’s job, are we all still sitting here today wringing our hands, pleading for another go-round for good ol’ Joe? All sentiment aside – and really, what is the defense for keeping Torre other than that? – shouldn’t someone be held accountable for “leading” the world’s most expensive collection of baseball talent to three straight first-round losses? Coaches have been fired for less.

And if you’re one of those who believe that it’s the players who play the game – and who can argue with that? – then what role, exactly, does a manager play? Shouldn’t the man in charge of a $200 million roster get more out of his players than Torre has gotten in the last three years? The last seven years?

Joe Torre has cemented his place in Yankees’ history. No one can ever take that away. There will be a Joe Torre day at the Stadium, probably sometime soon. But today it’s time for a change.

And speaking of changes, the manager won’t be the only one. First and foremost: so long, A-Rod. As Mr. O-fer-tober has proven at every stop he’s made, you don’t need the best player in baseball to win a championship. Would the Yankees have made the playoffs this year without his offense? Probably not. Does it matter now? Not by a long shot. I know the Yankees don’t have a budget like other teams, but can you imagine to how much better use the Yanks can put that $30 million than tie it up in a ridiculous contract for A-Rod? For a third of that money they could sign Mike Lowell and use the rest to shore up the pitching staff.

Ah, yes, the pitching. Never has so much been spent on so little. Igawa. Pavano. Farnsworth. Mussina. Clemens. Good riddance, all. Unfortunately, among the ones they should keep, Chin Mien Wang is not a #1 pitcher. The Indians made that perfectly clear. But I’d have no problem with him as the #2. Andy Pettitte pitched well enough in spurts to be invited back as the #4 starter. Between them I’d stick Phil Hughes, and maybe throw Ian Kennedy at the back. Of course, that leaves a rather gaping hole at the top. But that’s why we have George. And his money. Grab that broom and have at it, Boss...