Mussina Picks Joe... Over Joe

Mike Mussina implies Joe Torre did little in-game discussing while Joe Girardi already displayed a more continuous discourse throughout a game. Whether this is a good or bad change will begin to manifest itself as the season rolls along.

From the article:

"Joe [Girardi] does a little more talking to the players as the game goes along," Mussina said on Friday. "Joe [Torre] kind of sat back and let the guys make the mistakes and then gave the instructions. Joe [Girardi] may not let it go that far. He might make sure he reminds people of stuff before it ever happens.

"I know he's talked to me a lot more than Torre did," Mussina added. "It can be good or bad, you know? There are certain situations where you want to let the guy work out of it.

"But there's also time to remind guys what to do in different situations because this is a game of different situations, where you can experience something suddenly that you haven't experienced for two or three years."

"Joe's just a couple years removed from the game," Giambi said. "He's got that enthusiasm — not to say Joe Torre didn't — but he's young and hungry."

"I think he [Girardi] is going to be good for this group," said Mussina, who is scheduled to start on Wednesday against the Blue Jays' A.J. Burnett. "It's going to give us an incentive to do some things differently, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

Hat tip to WasWatching.

Farnsworthless Puts The Blame On Torre. Kyle Farnsworth is a funny guy. In today's New York Post, the fastballer suggests Joe Torre and Ron Guidry's blueprint to keep him from pitching on back to back days hurt his chances for a successful season.

"They never came up to me and asked me (about working consecutive games)," Farnsworth said. "I don't know where that came about."

Kyle, the "no pitching on consecutive days" plan was not to protect you from yourself, but to protect the team from your untimely gopher balls. Can't blame Torre for every bullpen arm.

Klapisch: Torre May Regret Dodger Blue. Bob Klapisch, the no-nonsense columnist for the Bergen Record, ponders Joe Torre's decision to bolt for the City of Angels after feeling slighted by the Yankees extension offer.

Klap first sympathizes with Torre's decision, calling the Yankees offer a "hollow, one-year offer [which] was made to be rejected." However, the tone soon turns as he contends Torre may implement the same type of Yankees boycott Yogi Berra instituted after an ugly departure from pinstripes.

Klapisch goes on to paint an ugly final year for Torre and his Yankees tenure, citing an unnamed source which called the Ron Guidry promotion as a favor and not a proper baseball move. From the piece:

Torre says all the right things -- it is, after all, still February -- but his friends in the business say it's only a matter of time before the non-Yankee reality greets him head-on. One person close to Torre said, "I just hope Joe doesn't end up regretting this."

That hollow, one-year offer was made to be rejected; after taking the Bombers to the postseason 12 straight seasons, Torre was so offended he hinted at a long, Yogi-type boycott of the organization.

The Dodgers ... want to win now: They've made Torre the richest manager in the team's history ($14.5 million through 2010), and will want an immediate return on that investment. For all the tension that grew between Torre and Steinbrenner, at least the Yankees stuck with their manager for over a decade. Meanwhile, the McCourts are on their third skipper in four years, which is to say, they won't wait long on Torre.

He doesn't get in people's faces. He doesn't do fiery team meetings. He operates on trust, believes in self-reliance. The Yankees unwittingly took advantage of the honor system last year; everyone seemed too comfortable, especially after failing to win the World Series for the seventh straight time. Even Torre's supporters in the organization admit Joe's stewardship had become too casual, evidenced by his naming Ron Guidry as pitching coach. "It was obvious all [Torre] was doing was taking care of a buddy," said one Yankee inside. "Finally, we have someone here [Dave Eiland] who knows what he's doing."

In his heart, Torre probably knew it was time to leave New York. He's said as much recently, that he no longer felt appreciated. But why did he take another job so fast? Torre is in a new league, trying to familiarize himself with a roster of strangers, surrounded by a baseball culture that could care less about the Yankees. Someday, Torre may look in the mirror, see that Dodger blue and ask: Was it really worth it?

Good question.

Afternoon Links:

· FBI opens case investigating whether Roger Clemens committed perjury. MLB fans offer their overbearing indifference.

· Jon Heyman says Joe Torre will have a tough time keeping the Dodgers together as embittered veterans will mix with LA's uber prospects.

· Jonathon Mayo, good source of MiLB info, takes his swings on the Clemens predicament and may offer a surprising perspective.

· The NY Observer thinks a Betemit/Duncan platoon at first base best serves Yanks though Joe Girardi will probably institute the "hot hand" approach.

Torre: What Went Wrong With Yanks. The Philadelphia Daily News reports Joe Torre's entrance into Dodger-hood and considers the last three disappointing years for his previous team. Torre called his successor, Joe Girardi, "intelligent" and advised him to always "be yourself" whether criticized or acclaimed. Following the 2004 collapse, Torre felt the Yankees "wanted to make a change" and said he never felt as secure as manager after losing that series to Boston. Torre went as far as to say the last few years got "to the point of not being a helluva lot of fun." The Brooklyn native goes on to discuss how his new job originated and what aspects he looks forward to.

Mattingly Quits Dodgers Job

[photo courtesy of Dodgers.com]

From Dodgers.com comes the news that Don Mattingly decided to leave the Dodgers after being passed over as bench coach weeks ago. From the report:

Don Mattingly, named by the Dodgers as hitting coach two months ago and the presumed eventual replacement for new manager Joe Torre, stepped aside on Tuesday for family reasons and was replaced by Triple-A hitting coach Mike Easler.

Mattingly will remain in the organization as a special advisor and coach, but requested the change so he could spend more time at home in Evansville, Ind. Mattingly took the Dodgers job after losing out to Joe Girardi for the Yankees' manager job that Torre formerly held.

"I'm very grateful that the Dodgers have allowed me to take care of these family matters and I hope that everyone can respect our privacy during this time," Mattingly said in a statement issued by the team. "I truly appreciate the support of all Dodger fans since joining the organization and I look forward to helping the team win in 2008 and beyond."

This has been a tough offseason for Donnie Baseball. Mattingly traveled from shoe-in as Joe Torre's replacement, to Torre's right hand man in LA, and now has removed himself as Dodgers hitting coach. And now . . .


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Torre Sleeps As Girardi Meets

The Los Angeles Times has an interesting article describing Joe Torre's smooth transition into the Dodger managerial job. According to the piece, with Spring Training only a month away "Torre said he has spoken to only a few of his players." Sounds a little too smooth.

On the other hand, New Yankees manager Joe Girardi spent his offseason traveling to the General Manager meetings in Nashville and to the Yankees youth academy in the Dominican Republic. Shockingly, these trips were never made during Torre's tenure as Yankee skipper.

These examples are not to condemn Torre as a baseball manager - he has won four world series and made the playoffs every year he headed up the Bombers - it is more of a promotion of Girardi as the new manager. I believe Torre will be successful in LA, but examples from the article are a bit damning and possibly offer insights into why the last three and a half postseasons have been such disappointments for Yankee fans:

The new Dodgers manager has talked to Pierre and Garciaparra and is at a mini-camp for prospects, but there are many he hasn't spoken to. He has made few decisions on the lineup.

He said he doesn't know what most of them look like or how they think. He said he has few ideas about who will hit in what spot.

About the only certainty in Torre's mind that he was willing to share with reporters Thursday at Dodger Stadium is that Andruw Jones will be his starting center fielder -- "Obviously," he said.

Everything else, Torre said, will be decided at spring training, which begins in Vero Beach, Fla., on Feb. 14, when pitchers and catchers report.

Torre said his conversation with Pierre was similar to one he had with Bernie Williams as manager of the New York Yankees.

"I just basically said to him what I said to Bernie Williams when we signed Kenny Lofton: 'We're going to do what's best for the team and when we leave spring training, it's going to be with the three guys playing the outfield that we all agree will give us the best shot,' " Torre said.

This is not to say Torre's 2008 club will fall apart under his watch, because it won't. The Dodgers have one of the top three farm systems in Major League Baseball and a bevy of talented youngsters at or knocking on the big league's door.

However, a new voice was necessary in the Bronx, and the hands-on, no excuses persona which Girardi carries with him may be just the perfect change of scenery.


Canseco Hires Enquirer Writer,
Report Says Santana Is Overpriced

· After being dumped by a writer from Sports Illustrated, Jose Canseco has a new ghost writer for his book. The writer comes from the National Enquirer and is the same author who helped O.J. Simpson pen a book which searches for Nicole Brown's "real killers."

· Finally, Vince Gennaro of Yahoo! Sports offered a piece explaining why Johan Santana isn't worth the expenditure.

Clemens Trades Lawyers Up

Roger Clemens hired powerhouse lawyer, Jackie Chiles Lanny A. Breuer, a top litigator in Washington D.C., according to the New York Times:

Roger Clemens has bolstered his legal team, hiring a powerhouse Washington lawyer, Lanny A. Breuer, who represented former President Bill Clinton during his impeachment hearings as well as numerous corporations that were the subject of Congressional investigations.

Rusty Hardin, Clemens’s Houston lawyer, said late Thursday that he had recruited Breuer to be his client’s “local counsel” in Washington because of his expertise.

Breuer responded to an e-mail message Thursday night and confirmed he had been retained by Clemens. “This is correct,” he wrote. “This just happened.”

Asked to comment on Clemens’s situation, Breuer wrote, “I’m honored to be joining Rusty Hardin in representing one of the greatest pitchers and athletes in history.”

Breuer, a former assistant district attorney in Manhattan, is a partner in the Washington law firm of Covington and Burling and is a co-chairman of its white-collar defense and investigations practice group.

And by "recruited," Hardin meant Clemens told Ol' Rusty to find a lawyer who won't make his client look like an imbecile.

· The latest from Joe Torre on steroid use under his watch:

Joe Torre had no suspicions about Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte using performance-enhancing drugs when they were playing for him with the New York Yankees.

"I didn't see anything that made me suspicious," Torre said Thursday. "But I don't investigate players. I get to know them. If they want to talk, then you're available for them and stuff like that."

· ESPN also reports Brian McNamee is unlikely to receive immunity from Congress.

Breaking: Torre Ain't Sayin' Nuttin

Today, reporters tried to coax former Yankees manager Joe Torre into discussing the recent Mitchell Report and two of its main attractions, Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. But, Torre ain't no stinking rat.

From ESPN.com:

Joe Torre won't pick sides between Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee, the former New York Yankees strength coach who accused the Rocket of using performance-enhancing drugs.

"You're not going to get me in that jackpot," the former Yankees manager said Wednesday. "I'd rather just stay away from making any in-depth comment about the whole steroid-HGH thing."

Torre, who managed Clemens for six seasons, spoke during a Golf Channel conference call ahead of the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Kapalua, Hawaii, where he will be honorary starter.

"I'm very close to Roger. When I say close to him, he was a great competitor for me. Andy the same way. And I certainly know they're two proud individuals that only like to do the right thing," Torre said. "I'd just like to leave it at that."

"It made it look like a lopsided report," Torre said. "Plus, don't forget, the Yankees have so many people coming through there on a year-to-year basis. We changed over quite often, whether it would be a player for the month of May, a player for the month of September. But I think the big part of it was the access, where these two people were both based in New York.

Torre suspects use may have been more widespread.

"When you're talking about 80 players that supposedly were using one thing or another, to me it may be an incomplete report," he said. "The only thing I do know is that the most important thing for us in baseball is to make sure that when we take the field, that the fans trust us. So whatever we have to do to make that happen, I think that's important."

There you have it. Torre won't turn states evidence, though he did take a nice shot at the Red Sox steroid report. Somewhere Clemens is planning his next move, no doubt under the guidance of Jake Gittes and Philip Marlowe.

This is the most entertaining circus since the Ringling Bros met Barnum and Bailey.

Report: Torre to LA

Joe Torre will replace Grady Little and manage the LA Dodgers.

If Andy Pettitte brings Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada to Hollywood too, the Yankees may well enter the rebuilding era Hank Steinbrenner inaccurately described before Alex Rodriguez opted out. Fortunately LA already has a closer in Saito and a star young catcher in Russel Martin. Unfortunately for Scott Proctor, another deadarm season lies ahead.

Heyman: Torre Not That Innocent

In a trigger-happy column, SI.com's Jon Heyman reports the Yankees offered Joe Torre a $4.5 million contract during Spring training.

Pipe Down Lil' Stein

Congratulations to Hank and Hal Steinbrenner for being handed the keys to the one of the most successful sports franchises in history. Along with the clout comes a boost in ego, a leap in confidence, and an opportunity for excess beyond Jim Morrison's wildest dreams.

Unfortunately, tact and self-awareness do not come with the gig. As Hank Steinbrenner illustrates after a week on the job, it's never too early to exercise these new privileges. After Joe Torre's farewell press conference alluded to a sense of disrespect for the four-time World Series champion, Hank did his best Randy Levine impression, pretending he's earned any right to undermine personnel in place for the last decade plus.

"Where was Joe's career in '95 when my dad hired him?" said the new Boss. "My dad was crucified for hiring him.

"Let's not forget what my dad did in giving him that opportunity - and the great team he was handed," Steinbrenner told The Post by phone from Tampa, Fla.

Come on now. Where were you in '95 Hank? Oh that's right, heaving hay to horses down in Florida. Looks like the Yankees may not lose much ground once George fully relinquishes the Yankee kingdom. Hank already displays the type of blind entitlement his father became famous for as the Bronx burned.

Had Torre been an excellent manager before joining the Yankees in 1996? No, in all honesty, Torre was a horrific manager with the Mets, satisfactory with St. Louis and above average in Atlanta. However, his style fit in perfectly with the 1990's dynasty and consequently pronounced Torre untouchable from baseball foreigners like Hanky.

Like him or not, George established himself as "The Boss" and oversaw six world championships during the journey. Now he wants Donnie Baseball managing in 2008, but even Big Stein would remind Hank he'll have to do more than saddle Bellamy Road before trying to saddlebag a Hall of Famer like Joe Torre.

Mattingly Southbound

From Yankees.com comes a statement from The Hitman's agent:

Don Mattingly will travel to New York next week to interview for the Yankees' managerial vacancy, his agent has confirmed.

"Don confirmed his interest and will travel to Tampa early next week to meet with Yankee ownership. No other details are available tonight." said Ray Schulte.

"I think there are some people that can step in and make the transition easier for some guys," Johnny Damon told the New York Daily News. "I know Don Mattingly is a guy that everybody on the team has great respect for, and I think if it's not going to be Joe, a lot of players are probably hoping it's Donnie. He's learned a lot from Joe, he works hard -- I think Donnie's ready."

Steinbrenner told the AP that the Yankees did not expect to make a final decision until after the World Series.

Further, Cashman announced he reached out to two other potential candidates for the job in Joe Girardi and Tony Pena. Pete Abraham believes Mattingly to be the most plausible choice. Regardless of how many years Donnie spent away from his Indiana horse farm and how much currency he has with Yankee fans, it still seems that Girardi is the best candidate for the job.

Going on the brief quotes Cashman offered the media, it appears he will waste zero time in finding Joe Torre's replacement. Torre's appearance on WFAN offered an even more succinct and revealing report from Joe, in which he alluded to Randy Levine's cowardly, weasel-like existence.

Torre 2PM Press Conference

Joe Torre's press conference announcing his farewell from the Yankees organization has several significant pieces of information. Here are a few tidbits I found to be interesting.

• Like myself and most Yankee fans, Torre does not like Randy Levine. When asked about his relationship with Levine, Torre explained that he doesn't deal with him, he deals with the general manager.

• Over these past couple weeks, Brian Cashman seemed to be of the few and maybe only voice which stood up in Torre's defense. That's something which shouldn't go unnoticed.

• Torre felt George Steinbrenner was "nudged" into this consensus decision. He probably could have stated that The Boss is not in his best health, but as he always has, Torre took the high road on that topic.

• Joe may be somewhat resentful toward the organization, but you would never know it considering how engaging and humorous he continued to be. Several times Torre got choked up, but refused to break down when talking about his players and family.

Holy $@!%, He Turned It Down

Joe Torre turned down the one-year offer made to him today. The contract included a club option for 2009, but included a paycut from $7 million to $5million in base salary. There were, however, incentives which would have paid Torre $1 million for making the playoffs, another million for getting into the ALCS and a final million for getting to the World Series. Meaning, the contract offer was potentially worth $8 million for next year.

It will be interesting to see what Torre says, if anything, about his decision. Though it's not out of the realm of possibility that New York modifies its offer to a guaranteed $7 million contract, it appears from what Brian Cashman and others said that the Yankees are already moving toward Torre's replacement.

Shocking development.

Torre Will Return

UPDATE 3:55 pm

Torre will receive a one-year contract with a club option for a second year. It is being reported that he will also take a pay cut from the $7 million annual salary of year's past.

---

Updating the last post, Joe Torre arrived in Tampa and entered Legends Field in what is expected to be a meeting discussing a contract extension. The conversation will likely revolve around the length of the deal, either one or two years.

Torre just landed here, in what could be the surest sign that a new deal with the Yankees brass is imminent.

Torre, wearing a dress shirt with sleeves rolled up, departed from Westchester this morning and landed here in a private jet at the Hawker Beechcraft Services airport at 1:26 p.m. He was accompanied by GM Brian Cashman and Yankees COO Lonn Trost.

As WFAN opined, another topic the Yankees could discuss pertains to the 2008 assistant coaching staff, particularly Ron Guidry as pitching coach.

In conjunction with a Torre return, George S. Steinbrenner III will officially recede into the shadows, abdicating his throne in Yankeeland and signaling the forward march of his sons.

Torre May Return

The Mike and The Mad Dog show on WFAN radio is insinuating that close sources to the Yankees believe Joe Torre may very well be locked in talks to return for his thirteenth season in pinstripes. Nothing specific was reported, but John Filippelli, the president of the YES Network, was mentioned several times. Nothing's been done yet, but it would appear Don Mattingly will remain the "manager in waiting" as Joe Girardi remains the odd man out.

Forget Joe, It's Clueless John

On Sunday, Mike Francesa of WFAN radio fame, presented a panel discussion on his tv show Mike'd Up. The topic of course revolved around Joe Torre's future. The three guests comprising the panel included Mark Feinsand of The Daily News, Sweeny Murti of FAN and "the voice" of the New York Yankees, John Sterling.

I will preface my remarks by understanding Sterling is reported to be a kind individual whose forged a friendship with Torre. Supporting a friend during hard times is to be commended. However, some comprehension of the Yankees current situation is expected, especially when you've broadcast in the Bronx since 1989. One would think with such longevity comes an inside perspective which even the best beat writers cannot attain.

Unfortunately, Sterling's homerism seems to have given way to blissful ignorance. Some of his comments made in the Mike'd Up video clip are absurd, even reminiscent of Chip Caray's cluelessness. Here are some of Sterling's responses.

When asked if Torre had any Yankees upper-management figures capable of persuading decision makers into bringing the skipper back, Sterling had this to say:

"Well I think that George would be his ally."

To which, Francesa responded, "But George is the guy who said he's gone!"

Guess Sterling missed this whole mess.

Then, when asked if he felt Alex Rodriguez would be a Yankee in 2008, Sterling actually believed the Yankees could sign him to $25 million a season for five years. John, please, come back to us. Rodriguez would get $25million a year for fifthteen years before he signs a five-year deal. How can he be that lost?

What A Circus

In the photo above, Yankees beat reporters dubiously wait outside of Legends Field. Unbeknownst to the New York inkblotches, the (second) meeting took place at George Steinbrenner's Tampa residence, forcing sportswriters to join in on the Yankees rendition of the Keystone Cops.

Hal and Hank Steinbrenner were in attendence. As were son-in-law Felix Lopez, scout extroidinaire Stick Michael, GM Brian Cashman and obviously The Boss himself.

Once the afternoon worked its way near the early bird special, the meeting adjourned. Was the status of 12-year manager Joe Torre decided? Nope. Had a replacement skipper found his way to the forefront? Of course not. In fact, the conclusion to the meeting had Steinbrenner's mouthpiece, Howard Rubenstein, inform the media that they had no new information.

In the meantime, Torre can look forward to Day 9 of twisting in the wind. The Geneva Convention was brief compared to this trumped up version of baseball egomania. From denied comments stemming from Don Mattingly's "close friend" to the availability of Leo Mazzone. From the impending free agency of Posada, Rivera, Rodriguez and Pettitte, to what capacity Joba Chamberlain pitches, the 2008 offseason promises to be active.

From these actions, the next decade of New York Yankees successes or failures may well commence. Unfortunately for Randy Levine and his collection of nitwits, the first steps toward the future appear rickety, blind and in all honesty, clueless.

Mattingly Turns Down Manager Job?

As the Yankees universe impatiently awaits the snail-like developments regarding Joe Torre and his future with the New York Yankees, Ed Price of the Newark Star Ledger breaks a big story. Contrary to a widespread belief that Don Mattingly would replace Torre next season, Price reports that Donnie Baseball feels he is not yet ready to take the helm.

Yankees bench coach Don Mattingly has told a member of the Steinbrenner family he does not feel ready for the manager's job and is uncomfortable with replacing Joe Torre, according to a friend of Mattingly.

The friend, who requested anonymity because the situation is unresolved, said he spoke directly with the former Yankees great in recent days. Mattingly's stance could open the door for the Yankees to bring back Torre for a 13th season because he was the leading candidate for the job.

Should the unnamed source's statements hold water, this would inject a fascinating twist into an already juicy subplot. Though Mattingly is renowned as an extremely sharp baseball mind and meticulously prepared, it is not unreasonable that he's simply unready for the leap. Mattingly spent one year as bench coach after three years as New York's hitting coach.

Perhaps another season under Torre's tutelage would best serve the franchise. Regardless of what decision the Yankee summit arrives at, Mattingly's reluctance and reported refusal to step over the body of Torre's Bomber legacy speaks volumes about the type of human-being he is. Such honor, respect and selflessness is rare in the world today, and nearly extinct in the sports arena.

Mattingly deciding to put the managerial job on the back-burner must also stem from the undeniable fact that following Joe Torre as Yankee skipper is an unenviable task. As Mattingly put it last week, "It's like following John Wooden."

There is also the possibility that a Yankees source leaked such a notion to protect the integrity of George Steinbrenner, who responded to an 0-2 ALDS hole by putting Joe Torre under fire. Should the Yankees essentially retract Big Stein's proclamation that an ALDS loss meant an end to the Torre era, it would also signal a drastic change in the Yankees power structure.

The NY Post story which painted Hank and Hal Steinbrenner as the successors to their father's throne is significant. However, the article never implied George was incapacitated or no longer an intricate part of the Yankees decision-making.

Having Torre come back as manager after Steinbrenner declared his body would lead outsiders to believe he no longer wields the power baseball fans have grown accustomed to. This, of course, would give credence to my conspiracy theory, with Mattingly's sensitivity being the scapegoat. Then again, Steinbrenner could reestablish himself as the turtleneck-toting, collusion-conspiring owner we all know and love by uttering two words: Call Girardi.

Hat tip to Ben K.