The Torre years

Money changes everything. There is no doubt that Torre agreed to have his name on the cover of Verducci's book because his years with the Yankees are still fresh (and, yes, the anger with the Yankees ownership, too) and because Torre's still the best known manager in baseball, making the payout for both "authors" as high as it could get.

I know this is no big deal if you don't live in the Yankee Universe, and I'm sure that we're reading all the good bits now and that the book itself won't be as vicious as some of the excerpts, particularly those about Alex "Can't Pitch" Rodriguez and Cashman, are. And yes, Verducci is now telling anyone who will listen that he wrote the book, not Torre. But sheesh, I wonder if Torre will wake up a year from now and wonder if it was worth it?

'Cause Buster Olney is right, this is Torre's book, whether he admits it or not.

But he has gone beyond his own code of conduct with his book. In spring 2003, David Wells and a ghostwriter published a book, "Perfect I'm Not: Boomer on Beer, Brawls, Backaches and Baseball," and Torre was furious, angry that Wells had aired some of the Yankees' dirty laundry in the pages. Wells tried to distance himself from some of the words in the book, saying they belonged to the writer, but the Yankees' manager would not accept that. After a meeting with the pitcher, Torre said this to reporters:

"We talked to him about a lot of things today. I just sensed he was bothered by it. Not by what we said, but by how it came out. How much of it is actually what he said and how much isn't exactly what he said, I don't know.

"But there's no question: It has his name on it, and he has to be accountable for it."

Torre, Cashman and George Steinbrenner held Wells accountable -- in the end, he was fined $100,000 by the organization.

Now it is Torre's responsibility to be fully accountable for the words in the book that has his name on it, and he must stand behind those words.

If he hides behind Verducci and the suggestion that the ugly anecdotes aren't his, the explanation will have echoes of "I didn't knowingly take steroids." If he embraces the words as his own, he also should acknowledge he has been, at the very least, extraordinarily hypocritical.

Something happened to Torre during his run with the Yankees. An indistinguished manager before he joined the team, he literally fell into a magical situation of solid veterans, talented youngsters, a storied franchise, and, oh yes, the best closer in the game's history. A master at handling the media and keeping the players blissfully free of the anxieties brought on by the frenzy of the NY sports media and the impetuous owner, he came to be beloved by most of his players and all of the fans.

But something happened. I think he came to believe the hype and resent the notion that he wasn't a great manager, just a lucky one. He deserved to win a manager of the year award, certainly in 2000 and, I think, 2001, when the great team of the 90s was rapidly aging, but which he guided to a World Serious win in 2000 and the bottom of the ninth and a dying quail in 2001. And he was dissed for not getting one. I think he got a little bitter, and that bitterness hurt his ability to manage. Some of it is actually illustrated by the released excerpts in the book, specifically, his sentimentality over Bernie Williams, his bad judgment in using Jeff Weaver over Mo Rivera late in a World Series game the Yankees should have won, both of which are spun in the book as placing a bad light on Brian Cashman. And he, like a lot of deranged Yankee (and Mets and Red Sox fans too), came to see Alex Rodriguez as the reason the team couldn't win, as evidenced by Torre's airing of the Yankees' dirty laundry by exposing A-Rod's emotional vulnerability in another piece by Verducci during the 2006 season.

Torre's star was diminishing before he was basically fired by the Yankees, but his reputation was restored afterwards. Now, not so much.

The Yankees were rightly excoriated when they failed to mention Torre's name during the closing ceremonies at the old Stadium. Now his name won't be mentioned at the new one, either. Which is a shame.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming of half-informed snark.

Incentives

Murray Chass writes this morning.

In his interview with Costas, Torre expanded his views of the incentives.

“I don’t think incentives are necessary,” he said. “I’ve never needed to be motivated. Plus, in my contract, I get a million-dollar bonus if we do win the World Series. So that’s always been there. And, you know, as far as needing incentive to go ahead and win a ballgame, that I thought, I used the term insulting.”

Torre referred to a $1 million bonus for winning the World Series. He indeed had that in his last two contracts, which covered the last six years of his employment. In the 2002-4 contract, he was able to earn $200,000 for winning the division series, $300,000 for winning the league championship series and $500,000 for winning the World Series.

The 2005-7 contract eliminated the division series bonus but provided $400,000 for winning the league championship series and $600,000 for winning the World Series, the bonuses still adding to a maximum $1 million.

Obviously Torre did not object to those bonuses, did not reject them as insulting. He signed those contracts and readily accepted the incentives they offered. Even though the Yankees didn’t win the World Series in those six years, Torre earned $700,000 of a possible $3 million in the first contract but nothing in the second because the Yankees lost the division series each year.

Interesting. He goes on to write that back before the 2007 season Torre had talked about a one-year deal with Steve Swindall, before Swindall was disappeared from Yankeeland. Fair points.

But isn't it interesting that the same columnist who couldn't be bothered to learn what VORP is and means (a highly useful stat for evaluating player's offensive contribution), took the time to investigate Torre's past contracts at the commissioner's office. Oh, but wait, he didn't really do the investigation.

With the benefit of details obtained from information on file in the commissioner’s office, we now know that Torre either suffered a lapse of memory Friday or was counting on his questioners not knowing about some of his contracts with the Yankees, the last two in particular.

I wonder how those documents were "obtained."

Clearly, the Yankees are fighting back in the PR war with Joe Torre. But Randy Levine really should move on -- despite rants such as this Yankee fans have, as we debate Mattingly v Girardi and wait for A-Rod to opt out -- because every baseball fan in the world knows that Torre knew he couldn't manage a team for which management didn't want him managing.

An insult

It's been a hard day to be a Yankees fan today.

Torre, in is news conference and in a subsequent interview, was blunt in saying the Yankees offer was bullshit. He was set up to turn them down, or if he didn't, his future with the Yankees would always be in doubt. He said that he would have preferred to have been told right away they didn't want him back instead of trying to embarrass him publicly by trying to make it seem he needs additional motivation to win the World Series.

Funny, I'm pretty sure he won four in his first five years managing the Yankees.

Blowing off the Yankees earned Torre even more admiration, and the way he handled the media today -- with respect, humor...yes, class -- was in keeping with his long, successful tenure in New York.

We were spoiled by Joe Torre. We're going to find that out in a big way when the Yankees lose seven in a row in May and Torre's calm demeanor and confidence in his guys isn't in the dugout.

I know, the Torre talk must get boring to people who don't follow baseball or don't much care for the Yankees (though most fans of other teams I've heard from are pretty thrilled that the Yankees may have fucked up hugely), and certainly for those who wanted Torre to go in the first place. But the number of reporters -- including non-sportswriters -- who showed up at his news conference indicated the impact Torre has had in the New York region.

It's not just the end of the Torre Era. It's also the end of the George Steinbrenner Era. If George had been fully in charge, he would not have handled it like this. He may very well have acted impetuously and fired Torre two weeks ago. But he wouldn't have acted so deceitfully as Randy Levine and Hal/Hank Steinbrenner have. It was a sad day listening to Joe today. I'm afraid it may only get worse as we watch George fade away.

Mr. Torre

Torre, as usual, comes out of this with his dignity intact, while the Yankees organization just looks rudderless. Madam Cura and I agree that there was no way Torre would have accepted a cut in pay and a one year deal. And an incentive-laden contract wouldn't have appealed to him. That's just not the way he operates. His teams have won because they win, not because they get an additional million if they make the playoffs.

Don't be surprised, though, if after the Yankees look around the field of possible replacements, they come back to Joe.

But right now, the Yankees don't have a manager, a third baseman, a catcher, or a closer. It's going to be an interesting off-season. It's going to be an interesting 2008 season.

Torre watch

I've refrained from too much Torre vigil posting, but I just heard on the internets that Torre's flying to Tampa with Brian Cashman this afternoon for "talks" with "Yankee management."

That's not something a team usually does when they don't want to sign the manager to a new contract.

4PM UPDATE: Torre's now flying back to New York. According to the Yankees, they offered him a one-year contract for $5 million -- a $2 million pay cut, but with bonuses of $1 million for each round of the post-season the Yankees make -- and an option for 2009.

According to sources, he turned it down.

Wow.

I figured the Yankees would demand a pay cut. Torres' salary has always irked Steinbrenner even though he'd agreed to it. But I also figured Torre would easily take it because he loves the job.

The Joe Torre Era may have come to an end.

"They have a bright future"

"Whatever the hell happens here on out, I'll look back on these 12 years with great, great pleasure."

Me too, Mr. Torre.