Sheff, You Damn Right.
Surprising comments but Sheffield has always spoken off the cuff: Torre, who managed the Yankees to 11 consecutive postseason appearances, has come under scrutiny for the Yankees' latest playoff loss. He benched Sheffield in Game 3 and first baseman Jason Giambi in Game 4 of the playoffs, and caused a firestorm when he demoted Rodriguez to the eighth spot in the batting order in Game 5. "I think that affected the morale and psyche of the entire team, not just A-Rod," Sheffield said. ""I'm not making any excuses, but everyone was wondering what was going on. It made it a real weird day. You would like to be treated with a little respect, I don't care who you play for. "We were worrying about all of that stuff, and we still had a game to play. If I'm on the other side, and all of a sudden they're putting Rodriguez eighth and putting me or Jason on the bench, you wonder what's going on. Those guys [the Tigers] were asking me about it. I think it boosted their morale. It gave them confidence they didn't have. "[Tigers manager] Jim Leyland took advantage of that. He can make you believe anything. He can put a fire under your belt like you never had before in your life. "Not to make excuses, but we didn't have that."
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 9:13 PM
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6 Comments:
hell to the yes
Sheffield is a jackass. He's lucky he was playing at all. The team got to the post season with Melky, Phillips and Bernie. By Playing Sheffield and Matsui, Torre changed the dynamic of the team. He did not play the team that won.
Not to defend Torre here because it is probably time for a change, but Shef, everyone on this team is getting compensated enough to the point where I'd expect them to "put a fire" under themselves. I'm sure it sucks to have the lineup messed with to the point of confusion, but take it upon yourself to move beyond that -- you're an adult, not a Little Leaguer. Not that Shef could while being benched, but the other guys were swinging at anything that moved and early in counts, not making the pitchers work. THAT's why they didn't score any runs.
Then again maybe they were winning all season in spite of Torre? I don't know.
I don't blame Torre for the fact that they lost the series.
I blame him for the way in which they lost - flat, uncaring, joking, and the matter of insulting your best player. Who moves a guy from 6th to 4th to 8th in three games? Who benches Sheffield against a lefty one night and Giambi against a righty te next? What the hell?
First, Giambi asked for a cortisone shot in his shoulder which precluded him playing in game 4 (he pawned his absence off on Torre). 2nd, for that delicate flower Sheffield, in game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, the Yankees on the verge of elimination v the Red Sox, Giambi was moved from #3 to #7 in the lineup and he hit 2 homeruns that day.
The Yankees went to the World Series partly because of that. Why would you give the biggest mercenary head case who's only interested in a contract for himself, who came in at the last minute and disrupted the team, and for whom every one on the team bent over backwards, the time of day? 'Off the cuff?' Yes, and always wrong. It's none of his business what happens with another player who also had everyone twisted in knots trying to make his sorry self happy.
Giambi was "100% ready to play" on Saturday.
Sheffield was healthy on Friday.
If Torre gets accolades and lauded for some moves, such as moving Giambi to 7th as you mention - and declared a "genius" - most notably for "pushing the right buttons" in the 90's postseason by benching Wade Boggs and Tino Martinez at different times to play Charlie Hayes and Cecil Fielder, then he also must shoulder the responsibility that moving Rodriguez was not successful.
We can't have it both ways that he's a genius when it works and when it doesn't it's not his fault.
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