After I stopped laughing at the Cust line, I was able to focus my attention and I would love to shake Torre's hand. The offer made to Torre was likely made knowing that Torre would reject it and therefore management could save some face. But the whole thing is just so transparent and a Chicken-sh#* way to end an era.

That being said, I hope the Yankees suck next year.

Torre has not produced and what is Steinbrenner to do?  At least he offered him a contract.  Not a slap in the face, but one that would still make him the highest paid in Baseball, I believe.  Torre should be replaced by Joe Girardi. The Yankee players have no more heart.   Unquantifiable, yes, but clearly not evident in this team of sophisticated Richistanis.  The WS winner will win on emotion and team play.  That much is assured.  The mighty have fallen due to their own weight and burden.  I don't feel sorry for Joe.  He really left the Yankees no alternative.

I think the Yanks are going to go on a 2 year rebuilding process.  They will still compete in the AL East, which only has Boston and Toronto (kinda) as competitive teams.  However, Abreau for 16 million seems absurd given his decline in production.  I thought the moves Cashman made this year trading Sheffield and Johnson for prospects was the only good moves he has made in 4-5 years.  Igawa was supposed to be a back of the rotation starter and while his signing looks like a mistake, Igawa has a place in the MLB (either as a 5th starter or bullpen).  Losing A-rod is going to kill them, but the new Yankees should keep stacking their chips (prospects), and make a leap at the Free Agency market once they his the new Yankee stadium in 2009.  The amazing thing is how much payroll they can clear in such a short time, while gaining prospects for the Veterans who leave for free agency.  

as much as i dislike the yankees, i've always respected joe torre as their manager. he seemed like a classy guy and he, along with jeter, were the faces of that franchise.

he will have no problem finding a job if he chooses to continue managing.

(haha)

Great post, Nico.

Man, so many thoughts on this. I have always admired Torre for his work, under some pretty weighty expectations and often impossible circumstances.

I don't think just because a manager is given a 200 million payroll, he should expected to win. And who's to say those players combined are even worth that much? Regardless, there are some managers (like there are players) who wilt under that kind of pressure and expectations. Torre did not.

The Yankees of 1996-2001 had Jeter, Rivera, Williams, Posada and Pettite in their primes (and btw, all those guys came up through the farm system, belying the assumption that the Yankees buy all their talent). But something else the Yankees had during that time: a knack for picking up a Paul O'Neill or a Scott Brosius, those key fill in guys who are essential for going from great to special. At some point the well ran dry and George figured he could just buy his way back to the top. You can buy talent, but you can't buy intangibles.

Speaking of George, we should not be surprised by anything he does. Except for the fact that a manager actually lasted tweleve years on the payroll. His latest act of giving a publicized ultimatum fazed me none whatsoever, classless as it may have been. Give him credit for wanting to win at all costs, but that's all far as it goes.

I better stop before I start sounding like a Yankee fan.

(which didn't seem to be much of a charge compared with Swish's charge), apparently there's some history of animosity between

Lofton and Beckett"

The Indians hitter has been flipping his bat for years when he draws a walk. He did it on a 3-0 pitch from Beckett in the bottom of the fifth, apparently thinking he'd taken ball four.

Not so fast, plate umpire Gary Cederstrom said, calling a strike.

Lofton hit a fly ball to left on the 3-1 pitch, and Beckett began screaming at him as soon as the ball left his bat. Beckett continued screaming as Lofton ran to first, and the hitter began to head toward the mound after he was called out.

"He doesn't like it when I take my bat and flip it on a walk," Lofton said. "He's the only pitcher who's had a problem with it. He was saying stuff I didn't like and I said something back. That's who he is. He's that kind of guy."

Several Red Sox infielders immediately moved in to keep the two apart, and players on both benches and in the bullpens soon joined them.

Beckett and Lofton got into a similar argument during a game in 2005. Lofton, then with the Phillies, dropped his bat at home plate after Beckett walked him. He stopped halfway up the baseline after an agitated Beckett, pitching for the Marlins, appeared to say something in his direction. Both benches cleared, but no punches were thrown and no one was ejected.

"It was a lot of stuff," Beckett said. "It kind of goes back before today. Those things have a way of working themselves out, though."

1-- for Torre to have left last week -- completely on his own terms -- knowing that something like this was coming, and

2-- for the Wankees to have no off-season issues, leaving the Eastern Sports Partisans Network with nothing to talk about.  

Tired of Charlie Finley's antics, Williams left on his terms, but only after he managed the A's to a second straight World Series.

but he's no Finely.

In fact, Steinbrenner's first hire was Williams for the '74 season. Only Finley protested, saying that Williams owed him a year. Steinbrenner hired Bill Virdon (who in turn begat Billy Martin).

Then when Williams got hired by the Angels (whom he led to consecutive last place finishes), his first series was a 4-gamer at Oakland. The A's swept with Finely flashing "Good Night Dick" on the scoreboard after each win.

Classy.

in 1976, when I was a 14 year old kid staying in the same hotel with the Cardinals (the Hilton in Pittsburgh).  That man has one of the largest noggins I've ever seen (non-steroid aided, anyway).  I got his autograph, but have long since lost it.  I always liked him 'til he became Yankees skipper; now I guess I can like him again.

Duke for a starting pitcher? Finally!

But I disagree.

You can call it what you will--and I know BB feels that playoff series, especially five-game playoff series, are as much about luck as anything--but the Steinbrenners have every right to hold Torre responsible.

Listen, I get tired of Steinbrenner and he's not my favoritest person in the world, but if you gave me an owner who spent that much to improve our team, I'd snatch him up in a hot minute.  In 2006, for example, he spent 74 million dollars more than the second place team did.  That was more than 16 clubs (including our A's) spent on their entire payroll.

Granted, it may not be fair to lay all this at Torre's feet.  But he's had diminishing returns for his investment in Torre.  They've lost their opening round series three years in a row.  Yes, luck is involved.  But when your payroll is $128 million more (vs. the Indians in '07), $112 million more (vs. the Tigers in '06), and $101 million more (vs. the Angels in '05), I think you have a right to expect to be more competitive.

I think the most interesting aspect of the contract they offered Torre, and something I've not seen covered, is the fact that the incentives were not for him to win the World Series, just to make the World Series.  Whatever happened in the WS, Torre would get the same amount.  And quite frankly, when you're spending that much more than your competition, I'm not exactly sure that's an unreasonable expectation.