Clueless Joe to remain for the season?

May 19, 2007 by Benjamin Kabak 8 Comments

There sure are a lot of folks in the Yankee organization, and these folks are want to talk to Joel Sherman about Joe Torre’s job.

In a short piece today for The Post, Sherman heres from a whole bunch of anonymous folks about whether or not Torre was fired, will be fired or should be fired. Here’s what the folks said:

Torre would have been fired already this season a) if a worthy heir were available or b) if Torre had not been such a valuable prop in the seduction of Roger Clemens, a lure beyond the pro-rated $28 million to convince The Rocket back to pinstripes. Clemens told Yankee management he was expecting to come back to play for Torre, not Don Mattingly, not Larry Bowa, not Joe Girardi.

Perhaps those two factors are season-long salvations for Torre. Some people in the Yankee organization will tell you the Torre crisis has passed, that George Steinbrenner‘s tepid statement of support on April 30 provided season-long amnesty. But you also will find folks in the organization who are not quite so sure about that.

So now, this whole Roger Clemens thing is coming back to kill the Yankees. They are paying a pro-rated $28 million for an old pitcher with rumors of a PED past growing louder and louder. He will give them six innings tops and may or may not be the pitcher this team needs. He can’t play right field; he can’t produce the offense they need.

And with Clemens on the team, Joe Torre stays. And right now, the consensus seems to be soundly against Joe Torre.

The Yankees could still come back. It’s improbable but not impossible. All of our complaining could be for naught. But for now, Roger Clemens and Joe Torre are just more nails in the coffin of a frustrating season.

Rob

It’s pretty much ridiculous if the only reason Torre keeps his job is because of Clemens. Dumping Torre is a move that is 3 years overdue, yes he’s done a lot for the club, but those days are long gone and it’s time to light a fire under this team and getting rid of their “too calm at all times” manager is a start. Jeff Pearlman at espn.com nails it perfectly:
Time for Torre to Go
NJ Lawyer

Clemens wouldn’t be the first player in MLB history to be told that Manager X would remain for the entire season, but then had to end up playing for Manager Y.

Stuff happens, and if the person who is now running the Yankees in George’s stead thinks there should be a change, and that person isn’t talked out of it by Cashman, whose job should also be in jeopardy, Torre can and will be fired.
Joseph M

This is what happens when the right thing isn’t done. There was no good reason for retaining Torre after the 06 playoff meltdown, yet here he is back again.

As far as Clemens is concerned, Clemens interest is himself make no mistake about it. Clemens wants the money and the right to come and go as he pleases, those concessions were the key to getting Clemens back not Torre. The other teams in the competition wanted him back a little later in the year which of course would have cost Clemens dollars. The reality is the Yankees would have been better served letting Boston win the competition, his inducement heavy package might have destabilized the Red Sox team. Besides, what exactly did the Yankees get? Let’s not kid ourselves here, The got a six inning pitcher who will need three effective relief pitchers to get him to get him a victory.
stepheneliot

As for myself, I think Torre should be let go as soon as conveniently possible. And I can see Cashman trailing on his heels. And does no have a memory of our collapse in in Spring training. It’s no surprise then that the Yankees have tumbled to 10 games out of first place as of this writing.If by comparison you look at the Redsox line-up from top to almost bottom every body’s a potential threat. Not so with our line-up created by Cash and Joes out of hope, spit and glue..Also, when the Ynakees pitching staff has to go their minor league pitches to find suitable throwers for prime games what the hell can we expect. Phil Hughes clones?

I don’t want to wtite off the whole season as yet because there’s always the possibility that we can secure a wild card birth. And there’s always the 1951 miracle where ” the Giants finished the regular season winning 37 out of their last 45 games making up a 13 game deficit on the league leading Brooklyn Dodgers”…and won on the famous/infamous home run by Bobby Thomas in the bottom of the ninth inning and went on to win their league. Yes,the improbable can happen, but the Yankees are so jinxed this year that I wish the season could start all over again because we’re spinning in the wind until the season is over sometime in September or sooner.
http://jeteupthemiddle.blogspot.com Jeteupthemiddle

I don’t think firing Torre gives any added benefit.

At most, it is a lateral move.

It is the players who are sucking.

Here and at nomaas.org there is a lot made about some of his in game decisions, but most of them are usually defensible.

Honestly, I am indifferent to this type of move. I can understand why the Yankees would want to fire Torre (can’t fire the players yadda yadda yadda), but I don’t think it would matter.

Any success that a replacement manager would find, is likely success Torre will eventually find as the team is underperforming from their own potential…and that has nothing to do with Torre.
Stuart

yeah the red sux lineup has threats thruout. pedroia, crisp, lugo, yea and I get your point you have no idea what you are talking about.

the sux are playing well at present that is the difference…
John

Ben,
I can’t believe you’re talking about “nails in the coffin” let alone suggesting that Roger Clemens is one of those nails. Watch Rasner pitch today, and then come back here and write that this team doesn’t need Clemens. Yes, the offense is struggling, but Damon, Giambi, Abreu are far more likely to return to the level of their past production than Rasner, DeSalvo, or Igawa are likely to excede their abilities.
Rick

I understand Joe Torre has had his problems managing this team but, When I look at this team play, it’s just a bad stretch right now. They having some bad luck right now period. April, the offense was clicking and the pitching was sour, May, the pitching has been good, now the offense has gone sour. I mean come on all of our lefthanded bats are not hitting period, thats gonna change sooner or later.

Rasner is pitching well, and he got hurt, that’s just bad luck. Balls are getting hit towards the defense for outs, I mean the wright hr could of been caught by damon but it bounce out of his glove.

The point is this, does firing Joe Torre help this team? And the answer is no in my opinion. I just have a hunch that this team is gonna take off soon, just watch, just keep jope guys, and when we do, I hope God Almighty help the 29 teams in baseball.

I just as fustrated as you guys, inconcern with the yankee play, but we gotta fight through this crap you know. I know this team can do it, just watch.