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.

Mazzone Could Replace Guidry

Leo Mazzone is the Mick Jagger of pitching coaches. Spit out the word "Mazzone," and the image of a figgety mustached Atlanta Braves uniform sitting in a dugout quickly comes to mind. Then names like Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz and Avery inevitably follow.

However, the real accomplishments involve names like Jaret Wright or Jorge Sosa, who had career years under Mazzone but returned to mediocrity after moving on to another team. Such pitching acumen would undoubtedly become a valuable resource for the growing stable of young, talented pitchers in the Yankees system.

Unfortunately for Ron Guidry, the current Yankees pitching coach, Mazzone reacted to his firing from the Baltimore Orioles by expressing an interest to join a winning organization's coaching staff. He explained that he still holds a burning competitive desire and revealed interest in the team he followed as a boy.

Mazzone, who turns 59 on Tuesday, will begin looking for a new job, said Brad Steele, Mazzone's business manager, who answered Mazzone's cell phone yesterday.

"His mind-set is that he wants another shot, and he wants to be part of an organization that is going to be committed to winning," Steele said. "He still has the fire in his belly." Unless Mazzone signs with another organization, the Orioles will have to pay his remaining salary - approximately $500,000.

One possibility is for him to stay in the American League East and join the New York Yankees, who would have an opening if Joe Torre's staff is fired. Mazzone rooted for the Yankees as a kid and considered going to New York in 2005 before signing with the Orioles.

"Yes, I think that is a team we are interested in," Steele said. "He grew up being a Yankees fan, and it is the type of organization he would be happy to be a part of."

Not that Gator didn't do the job, but Leo would be an enticing possibility for Yankees management. He would also serve as a safety valve should the organizational heads decide for a change and acquire Joe Girardi, who is already labeled as an abuser of starting pitchers.