Another baseball season has ended earlier than expected for the New York Yankees....only this time it may have cost their beloved manager, Joe Torre, his job....
We all know about the Yankees $200 million payroll and how they have underachieved....we have seen how Alex Rodriguez has done zilch in the post season since putting on the Pinstripes.....that has all been documented....
As a fan of the game, and of the Yankees, I am torn about Torre’s situation.....his temperament worked well with the Paul O’Neills, Scottie Brosiuses, Tino Martinezes, and Derek Jeters....but that era of Yankee baseball ended in the Arizona desert in 2001....since that disappointing loss in game 7 to Arizona in 2001, the Yankees have been on a collision course toward disaster....
They abandoned their sound strategy of strong pitching and disciplined hitting in exchange for the hope of a quick fix by signing or trading for players like Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, and A-Rod.....the Yankees have become a bloated overweight team in need of a weight loss plan....
If the organization is committed to returning to its successful formula of pitching and disciplined hitting, then Torre should keep his job....but if they want to continue to search for a quick fix, then it is best that Torre leaves....
His place in Yankee history is secure....he ranks, along with Casey Stengel and Joe McCarthy, as one of the three greatest Yankee managers ever.....the fans love him and the city loves him....but if the organization decides it wants to keep looking for the quick fix, then it is only fair to shed Torre from this annual burden of having to win the title....
Another decision will have to be made during the winter.....should A-Rod stay or go?.....
First let me say this, I like A-Rod and always will like him no matter where he plays....you never hear his name linked to steroids, illegal drug use, DUIs, etc....he is a classy ballplayer.....but it is evident that he lacks the mental toughness to play in the spotlight of New York City.....therefore, general manager Brian Cashman should try to unload him for young pitching....the Yanks will probably have to pick-up part of his salary though....they will be clearing almost $40 million by not resigning some players - so it is possible to ‘eat" a portion of his pay.....
Do the Yankees need a major overhaul? – No.....there is no need to "break-up" the team....they are set in the outfield with Matsui, Damon, Abreu, and Cabrera......their middle infield is solid with Cano and Jeter....and Posada is still a rock behind the plate.....Wang is a good young starter and Rivera is still there for the 9th inning....
The three things the Yankees need is 1) young starting pitching, not some 44 year-old pitcher who is past his prime.....2) quality middle relievers to set-up Rivera.....and 3) hungry dirt dogs at the corner infield position....
Over the last few years, the Yanks have lacked that dirt dog type player.....during their great run in the 1990s, they had Chuck Knoblauch, Paul O’Neill, and even Chad Curtis coming off the bench....
They need someone like former Met and Phillie Lenny Dykstra who was the greatest dirt dog in the last 30 years.....this guy was a 100% baseball player who got dirty and gave his all for his team.....he was a sparkplug and fiery player.....the Pinstripes need two players like Dykstra....
In the next day or so, a decision will be made concerning Torre.....his players let him down....he put the best lineup on the field, but the team could not produce when they needed....a lot of the blame should be placed on A-Rod....the Yankees are not asking for him to come through in the clutch every time.....but gosh darn-it, he needs to get that big hit every once in a while....in the last two post-seasons, he had zero RBIs.....
So it is unfortunate that Torre’s tenure may come to an end because players like Rodriguez, Giambi, and Randy Johnson were paid to produce in the clutch only to walk back to the dugout empty handed....a dugout which may have a new leader next season....
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