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As much attention in the Northeast looms around the Boston Red Sox’s chance of winning their second World Series since 2004, there is also a lot being published about the Yankees managerial search and the player contract renegotiations of Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguez.
The Yankees, who were recently knocked out of the ALDS against the Cleveland Indians, have not won a pennant since 2000, a year which many call the end of a great dynasty. In the ’90s, the team broke out of an 18-year championship drought, christening coach Joe Torre’s term in the Bronx with a World Series ring in 1996, his debut year. Straight out of the Yankees’ farm system, shortstop Derek Jeter, right-handed pitcher Mariano Rivera and southpaw pitcher Andy Pettitte also saw their first official season in pinstripes that year. It was a time when a bunch of ordinary talent – not the overpaid star-studded lineup that has choked on the big stage the last seven years – played the game of baseball the right way. Back then, the players did the simple things to win games; there was less reliance on one hitter in the lineup to hit the long ball. Instead, each player did what was expected of them in a combined effort to win as a team.
After 2002, the Yankees’ organization began signing pricey had-been veterans in an effort to bring the glory days back to New York. This proved to be a bust. They even tried bringing back some of the pieces of the ’90s dynasty, but that still culminated without a World Series ring.
Of course, when things are not going right with the team there always must be somebody to blame. There is a need for one person to take the responsibility for the entire organization’s failure. The victim this year just so happened to be the 12-year, four-time World Series champion manager, Joe Torre. Quite frankly, I don’t believe he deserved any of the liability for the team’s hapless and pathetic postseason efforts. It’s not his fault that the potential 2007 AL MVP and AL Clutch Player of the Year can’t find his stroke in the postseason, that Derek Jeter seemed to be an automatic double-play out whenever he stepped in the batter’s box or that Roger Clemens tarnished the Yankees’ chances of overcoming the Tribe in Game 4. Yes, Torre was offered a one-year, $5 million dollar contract for 2008 and would still be the highest-paid manager in the Majors, but it was never about the money with him, or so it seems.
In his press conference, Torre flat-out said that he felt disrespected by an organization that he had done so much for, which he helped lead to 12 consecutive postseason appearances. He felt that the team no longer had trust or faith in him and thought it was the appropriate time to walk away with whatever dignity he had left.
I was lucky enough to go to Game 4 of the 2007 ALDS, and to sit among the notorious bleacher creatures of Yankee Stadium, despite having to witness the Tribe celebrate on sacred and foreign soil. I was among the 50-or-so thousand fans present to give Joe Torre his final ovation. The atmosphere at the stadium was eerily electric when he made his first visit to the mound in the eighth inning to calm down Jose Veras. Finally, it was the fans’ opportunity to pay tribute and thank him for his accomplishments during his tenure in pinstripes. He remained humble throughout all the chants, acknowledging the crowd’s touching gesture but keeping his eyes fixated on the ground. Later that inning, he made his final trip from the dugout to the mound, replacing Jose Veras with none other than Mariano Rivera. This time around the “Joe Torre” chants were twice as loud and just as moving. When the “Enter Sandman” song by Metallica came on it didn’t even matter that the team was on the verge of losing the game; the fans wanted to show just how much they appreciated Torre and Rivera and what they meant to the city of New York.
Even though Rivera will most likely be offered a new contract during the offseason, it is still not a sure thing, especially with Torre leaving the Bronx. Both Rivera and Jorge Posada, the veteran catcher, can elect to test the market and have threatened to do so if Torre was not offered a new contract. At this point, there is uncertainty as to who will replace Torre and who will still be or not be on the field come opening day. One thing is for sure, however; George Steinbrenner & Sons will do everything in their power to close out the “House that Ruth Built” with a World Series championship. Clearly, anything short of that is an absolute failure and will result in some drastic changes. Whether these changes will have a positive impact on the team next season remains to be seen.
With Torre gone it looks probable that the top choices to replace him are former Yankee catcher Joe Girardi and 2007 Yankee bench coach Don Mattingly. A decision regarding the managerial situation is to possibly be made in the coming week, if allowed by MLB Commissioner Bud Selig on the next World Series off day.
Bangor Daily News