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Wednesday, September 09, 2009 |
Joe Still Clueless
What a gem of a post by friend-of-this-blog Rob Neyer.
Torre talking lineups, nonsense  September 8, 2009 7:41 PM Mark Newman asks three (future) Hall of Fame managers -- along with Henry Chadwick, risen from the grave -- about lineup construction, and I couldn't help siezing upon this bit from Joe Torre: With certain people, it's easy. You know where the leadoff guy goes. I used to have trouble and Don Zimmer gave me a great hint-start from the bottom. He was right. All of a sudden I realized when you put the names down that way, it makes the rest of it easier. With our current lineup, you know where (Matt) Kemp, (Andre) Ethier, Manny (Ramirez) and (Rafael) Furcal will be. Those guys will be in the top four or five spots. It becomes pretty simple, and occasionally it's a matter of how to attack a certain pitcher with right-handed hitters or left-handed hitters. But when you have players who play every day regardless, it's not that tough a call. (Sorry, I can't resist ...) Umm, Skipper? Have you forgotten already that Matt Kemp has spent more than half his time this season in the bottom third of the lineup? And have you failed to notice that Rafael Furcal, who simply must be near the top of your lineup, has a .320 on-base percentage and has stolen only six bases all season? Russell Martin, who's spent most of the season in the bottom third of the order, has a higher OBP and more steals than Furcal, who at this point is suited to just one spot: eighth. Look, I know that batting orders are relatively unimportant, and that the difference between any two moderately reasonable lineups is just a few runs over the course of the whole season. But everybody loves to talk about lineups, and I'd love to hear from a manager, future Hall of Famer or not, who's coming close to actually putting together the best lineup possible. 'Cause Joe Torre hasn't been close this season. Maybe he'll get it right next month.
Torre admits that even though he started managing in 1977, he was still unsure how to even fill out a lineup card in 1996 and had to rely on Zimmer. How many duties does a manager really have that are more basic than setting a lineup? It also goes to show he doesn't even remember what he's done in the past by forgetting about Kemp's placement. Maybe that explains certain things, like the fact that he forgot he used Proctor the previous 25 days so he summoned him again.
I am so glad this guy is out of the Yankee dugout. Let's not forget how "successful" Torre has been without Popeye sitting next to him.
(Hat tip to Stan for the heads up).Labels: joe torre, lineups, torre is dumb, zim
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 12:07 PM
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Girardi Gets What Torre Never Could
From today's Journal News:
Girardi said he never had any intentions of using the ultra-effective Phil Hughes in the eighth inning of Sunday night's 5-2 win over Boston. He called on lefty Phil Coke instead, and watched him give up a 1-0 lead on Victor Martinez's two-run homer.
But Girardi sounded like he'd do it again to avoid overusing Hughes, or any other reliever. Hughes had pitched the three previous days.
"The bullpen is something you have to watch," Girardi said. "You don't want to fall in love with one guy because you can wear him down. You can hurt him. You don't just want him effective for two weeks, but for the whole season."
He said he's willing to bite the proverbial bullet to stay away from a pitcher.
"I knew yesterday I'm not going to use Hughes," Girardi said. "Sometimes, you've just got to say, 'Hey, know what? We don't have this guy today.' " I'll admit, when watching the game I questioned not using Hughes myself, but I wasn't aware he'd been in three consecutive days. It worked out anyway, but I'd have preferred Bruney or Aceves to face the righties there after Coke got Ellsbury.
In any case, Girardi is makingthe right moves here. He's not falling into the Torre trap of falling in love with a reliever who then has his arm fall off.
Look at the post-Torre careers of former Torre flames Tanyon Sturtze, Steve Karsay, Ramiro Mendoza, Paul Quantrill, Ron Villone and Scott Proctor if you want to see what could have been in store for Hughes.Labels: all hail girardi, bullpen, joe girardi, joe torre, phil hughes, phil phranchise, torre is dumb
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 10:01 AM
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Ron Villone Should Check His Voicemail
Scott Proctor may be "surprisingly" injured this season, but that won't stop Joe Torre from bringing in another overused reliever from his past.
Torre just can't live without his overused, underperforming, broken-elbowed, crutch-managing relievers. Case in point:
Sturtze has real shot at making club
PHOENIX -- Right-hander Tanyon Sturtze (pictured at left) has emerged as a strong possibility to make the club, Manager Joe Torre said this morning.
Sturztze, who battled back from shoulder surgery and pitched in three big-league games for the Dodgers last season, has a 3.00 earned-run average in eight spring appearances.
Torre, who managed Sturtze in New York, said the 38-year-old non-roster invitee looks much better than he did a spring ago. Labels: dodgers, joe torre, tanyon sturtze
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 5:54 PM
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Monday, February 02, 2009 |
Thanks, Moose...
... for setting people straight on Joe Torre.
“Joe has started something that a lot of people are going to have to answer to,” Mike Mussina said by telephone on Thursday. “Joe’s going to have to answer to it too, but it won’t be as bad for him because he’s with the Dodgers now. But it’s going to be bad for the guys he left behind.”
Mussina said, “it’s not just what goes on in the clubhouse, it’s sitting on the bus, or if you’re out having lunch. As a ballplayer you need to know who you have to watch out for and who you can trust. First and foremost, you should be able to trust your manager.
“I mean, people knew that Brown was out there, and that Randy was ornery all the time. And Pavano is whoever he is. But if you’re their manager, you can’t go out and write about them like that.”
Mussina’s point can be boiled into a single indictment: you can’t just be the manager of the good soldiers, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. You have to lead them all — including the disturbed and unreliable ones. Actually, it was Torre’s mandate to especially act as a higher authority to players like Brown, Pavano, A-Rod and Gary Sheffield. Labels: joe torre, moose, torre is dumb
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 12:22 PM
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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 |
Stats are for Losers!
From Torre's new book:
After Cashman consolidated control of the team’s baseball operations, Torre confronted him during spring training in 2006. Torre wasn’t pleased with the new reliance on statistics.
“Cash, you’ve changed,” he said, telling him later that year: “Never forget there is a heartbeat in this game.” Enough said.Labels: brian cashman, joe torre, torre is dumb
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 5:35 PM
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Is This Where the Torre/Rodriguez Relationship Went Wrong?
I was reminded yesterday of the SI article from 2006 (also written by Torre co-author Tom Verducci) and mentioned on this blog where Verducci does a rip job on Rodriguez, so I decided to revist it and look at what it had to say in light of the recent book story.
As it turns out, if A-Rod had a frosty relationship with Torre, he had every right to be upset with his manager.
Case in point:
Alex Rodriguez still was weak from a throat infection that had confined him to his Seattle hotel room for the New York Yankees' game the previous night -- not to mention forced him to cancel a recording session for his ringtone endorsement deal -- when he walked into the visitors' clubhouse at Safeco Field on Aug. 24 and was told to go to manager Joe Torre's office. Torre asked him to close the door, then motioned to the blue leather couch in the smallish room. "Sit down."
The richest and most talented player in baseball was in trouble. Rodriguez could not hit an average fastball, could not swat home runs in batting practice with any regularity, could not field a ground ball or throw from third base with an uncluttered mind and cooperative feet, could not step to the plate at Yankee Stadium without being booed and could not -- though he seemed unaware of this -- find full support in his own clubhouse.
Torre hit .363 with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1971 and .289 the following season, giving him a deep understanding of the ebb and flow of performance. With veteran players especially he operates like an old fisherman checking the tide charts, believing that the worst of times only means the best is to come. Rodriguez will hit, he thought, and he kept telling his third baseman exactly that.
In Seattle, Torre looked at Rodriguez squarely and said, "This is all about honesty. And it's not about anybody else but you. You can't pretend everything is O.K. when it's not. You have to face the reality that you're going through a tough time, and then work from there."
It was as close to a tongue-lashing as the low-key Torre ever gets. When the manager comes down on a player, he will mix in the occasional profanity, but his voice remains even and there are no threats. Here his hammer was in the rebuke that Rodriguez's unwillingness to address his slump head-on was letting himself and the team down. Torre told him he needed to show some fight, some anger even, rather than continuing to act as if he were doing just fine.
Rodriguez maintained eye contact while Torre spoke and nodded repeatedly. His only sign of discomfort was that he kept twirling his wedding ring around his finger. When Torre was done, he asked A-Rod if he understood what he had just told him. "Yes, 100 percent," Rodriguez said firmly.
Verducci wasn't at that meeting, and it's obvious Rodriguez didn't give up the information of what transpired between closed doors of a supposedly private meeting. Torre sold him out to his pal Verducci who then wrote what is essentially a hit piece on Rodriguez and made Torre out to be a wise sage (again).
Can anyone blame Alex for not trusting a manager who runs to tell the press what happens in private meetings (ring twisting and all) so they can write negative articles about him?Labels: a-rod, joe torre, sports illustrated, tom verducci, torre is dumb
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 9:11 AM
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Quick "Joe Torre Book" Summary
"I'm mad that I didn't get to come back to manage a team on which I hated ownership, thought the GM didn't have my back, and thought the players and personell were jerks, for the most part."Labels: joe torre, torre is dumb
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 11:11 AM
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008 |
Joe Torre is a Magical Fairy Who Grants Wishes to Yankee Fans
At least that what Sam Borden seems to think.
While constantly saying this season's struggles aren't "Joe Girardi's fault" and that "nobody can blame him" Borden continually hints and posits that with Torre, things might have been different because of some supposed magical ability he has.
Joe Torre wouldn't have made a difference in how this Yankees season has gone, would he?
Would he?
Alex Rodriguez would still have missed 20 games. Hideki Matsui would still have missed 50. Jorge Posada and Chien-Ming Wang would still have been gone even longer. Just having Torre managing the team instead of Joe Girardi wouldn't have put the Yankees in a better position than they are today, right?
Right?
There is no way to know for sure, no way to prove quantitatively that Torre's presence would have changed things. Progressive statisticians often talk about VORP, which essentially measures how good a particular player is relative to the "average player," but there is no such statistic to determine how good Torre or Girardi is relative to the average manager (or each other).
It can only be a hunch. A feel thing. And even if common sense says otherwise, it feels like Torre would have made a difference.
The last time the Yankees didn't make the playoffs in a full season was 1993, and that includes all 12 seasons that Torre was the manager. Every year. Every October. Some years were cruises, 100-win seasons that were only preludes to the playoffs. But not all. Most recently, in 2005 and 2007, Torre had to bring a team back from a slow start, just like the Yankees had this year. And he did. Every time.
Would the Yankees have made fewer errors running the bases this year with Torre? Would they have hit better with runners in scoring position? Would they have as many mental mistakes like the one in the fifth inning last night, when Jason Giambi looked bizarrely confused after catching a throw from A-Rod and allowed Coco Crisp to sneak home from second on an infield hit? Maybe, maybe not. There are those who believe Torre was just in the right place at the right time, a formerly less-successful manager who stumbled into a great team, great city, great run. If that's true, than perhaps Girardi is just incredibly unlucky, a poor victim of circumstance in a tougher-than-average year.
But Torre dealt with injuries, too, made it through seasons where Derek Jeter got hurt and Mariano Rivera got hurt and the starting rotation featured guys like Aaron Small and Shawn Chacon. None of those seasons ended in September.
Torre's greatest attribute was his ability to manage the players, even more than the games themselves. He pushed, poked, prodded and, ultimately, received production. He knew what to say, when to say it and, most important, how to say it. He thundered and cajoled, depending on the day, time and person. Mostly, he knew how to make the Yankees just a few games better than they deserved to be, and that's something the Yankees could certainly use right now.
Whatever the reason, the Yankees wake up today in as bad a place as they've been in over a decade, the last season at the Stadium on the verge of ending one month too early. Out west, Torre might well continue his playoff run with the Dodgers, so it's hard not to wonder whether he would have made a difference here.
Common sense says he wouldn't have.
Would he? A hunch. A feel. Or perhaps magical fairy dust?
By the way, Torre's magical hunches and feels have propelled his new team and willed 100% maximum effort from his Dodgers to the tune of a 65-67 record.Labels: douchebag, joe girardi, joe torre, st. joe
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 10:51 AM
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Wednesday, March 19, 2008 |
Is There Really Any Doubt Anymore that Torre Had to Go?
The number of players - relievers, mostly - finally coming clean on the ineptitude of St. Joe is growing daily. Take a look at these comments by Scott Patterson:
Following a phenomenal season at Class AA Trenton last season in which he posted an outstanding 1.09 ERA in 43 games and was voted by the Thunder fans as their favorite player, Patterson finds himself increasing his once long odds of making the Yankees’ bullpen with each spring outing.
“He’s been great,” first-year Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “We’ve brought him in during the middle of some innings and he’s gotten us out of three or four really tough spots. He’s done everything you could ask to rookie to do. He’s impressed me.”
The Yankees have been more receptive to using younger pitchers recently and rookie Joba Chamberlain played a large role in the bullpen late last season in rallying New York to the American League playoffs. With that in mind, Patterson believes he at least has a chance of going north with the major-league club.
“If Joe Torre were still the manager, my chances wouldn’t be very good,” Patterson said. “It’s different with Joe Girardi in charge. He seems very willing to go with the best players, regardless of the experience. I don’t know if I’m going to make it but I think I will at least be considered. That’s all I can ask for.”
Patterson is scheduled to pitch again today against Cincinnati at Sarasota. Girardi has been using Patterson early in exhibition games, giving him a chance to face opposing major-league hitters before mass substitutions ensue in the later innings.
Patterson had the chance to face major-league hitters during the off-season when he pitched in the Venezuelan Winter League and posted a 1.54 ERA for Lara in 20 games. Labels: all hail girardi, bullpen, joe torre, scott patterson, torre is dumb
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 10:06 AM
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Saturday, January 26, 2008 |
Cashman Admits to Things Everyone Has Known All Along
Yet, it's refreshing to see he's not giving the stock answers anymore.
On Bernie Williams:
While retracing Bernie Williams’s unfriendly departure from the Yankees, Cashman said Williams had become more involved in his music “and that took away from his play” and that Williams had a "terrible season" in 2005.
On Joe Torre:
Cashman added Joe Torre had played Williams "ahead of guys who could help us win" in 2006, a reference to Melky Cabrera.
On last year's early struggles:
Cashman said Damon struggled last season because he reported to spring training out of shape, adding that Bobby Abreu was also out of shape.
On Joba vs. the midges:
"I thought our guys weren’t mentally tough enough to get through it."
On working his way up through the Yankees front office:
"It was a great grooming ground. Things kept opening up because people kept getting fired."
None of those things were mysteries to anyone that has paid attention to the Yankees the last few years (or just read this blog) but to see Cashman admit there is some blame to be laid on players and managers is a nice change from his normally stoic and non-candid answers.Labels: bernie williams, bobby abreu, brian cashman, joba chamberlain, joe torre, johnny damon
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 9:37 AM
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Thursday, December 06, 2007 |
Man, the Dodgers are Stupid
I thought it was surprising that one year after signing Gary Matthews, Jr., a strong defensive centerfielder coming off a career offensive year to a 5-year, $50M contract, the Angels then went out and signed Torii Hunter, a strong defensive centerfielder coming off a career offensive year to a 5-year, $90M contract. However, their cross-freeway rivals were not to be outdone by redundant stupidity.
The Dodgers signed Juan Pierre to a 5-year, $44M contract last offseason. I'm now hearing reports on TV and the radio that they're "shocked" that Pierre takes such poor routes on balls and has a weak arm and gets poor jumps. Look - you're willing to shell out $44M over five seasons but aren't willing to investigate what type of player you're getting? Well I suppose it makes sense that they didn't really investigate who they were getting, since Ned Colletti has said numerous times that he likes Pierre because he "gets on base" (OBP 2005: .326, 2006: .330, 2007 .331). As you can see, Ned Colletti doesn't really understand the game of baseball.
Therefore, it should really come as no surprise that Colletti now has announced the signing of a centerfielder with a great reputation for being a defensive specialst -who by all accounts has slipped dramatically in that department in recent years - and hit .222 / .311 / .413 last season to a 2-year, $36.2M contract.
Joe Torre will love this club. He's got two overpaid, overvalued "veterans" now blocking centerfield for Matt Kemp, a young centerfielder who makes the major league minimum and in 98 games last year hit .342 / .373 / .521 with an OPS+ of 125. This is the same Matt Kemp who was benched repeatedly last year so that ABs could be given to Pierre and Luis Gonzalez.
Any chance the Dodgers would do a Matsui/Cabrera/Farnsworth for Broxton/Kemp trade? It's not outside the realm of possibility, considering Neal Colletti appears to have once played "Corky" on the popular ABC television program Life Goes On. Maybe he'll ask Joe for advise, and hear all about how Matsui is "gritty" and a "gamer" and has "heart."
I know there are some Yankee fans who now have taken it upon themselves to also root for the Dodgers because of St. Joe, but if anything it causes me to root against them even more. For a guy starting out with a new club, being the ONLY majoe league manager who refuses to report to the Winter Meetings sets the wrong precedent and certainly sends the wrong message to players and fans. But don't worry, I'm sure the LA media will continue to kiss his ass and make it seem as if Joe only won World Championships because he has a magic wand to turn crappy players into great ones.
I feel bad for Donnie, but I'll be laughing with glee when it's between Torre and Bochy to fight it out for last place in the NL West. For all the media (ESPN) bashing of the Yankees with their "see? They can't buy championships anymore! they need to be like the Red Sox and build from within (the Red Sox had one (1) homegrown player in 2004, Trot Nixon)," it amazes me how much the Dodgers have escaped scrutiny. If you want an example of a bloated, poorly run franchise that every year tries to spend to cover the mistakes of the previous season, it's Los Angeles.Labels: andruw jones, dodgers, joe torre, juan pierre, matt kemp, ned colletti
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 10:13 AM
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Saturday, November 03, 2007 |
Sexual Innuendo Headline of the Day, 11/03/07
Courtesy Yahoo! Sports:
 You will also notice "Torre" is misspelled in the text, the page title, and the URL. Outstanding work, Yahoo! Labels: innuendo headline, joe torre
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 12:49 PM
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Friday, November 02, 2007 |
The Dodgers Become a Juggernaut
Check out the totally unbiased and hyperbole-free article by Steven Henson:
LOS ANGELES – Admit it. What for days appeared to be another episode of reckless decisions and bungled stewardship by Dodgers owner Frank McCourt turned into the franchise's greatest coup since drafting Mike Piazza in the 62nd round 20 years ago. The Dodgers signed Alex Rodriguez? Traded for Johan Santana? Re-animated the corpse of Jackie Robinson to replace Kent at second? Don't leave me in suspense, Steve Henson!
The Dodgers exchanged Forrest Gump for Joe Cool.
And another manager to be named later. Forrest Gump plays for the Dodgers? Also is that a reference to the character Snoopy plays when he puts on sunglasses? Personally I would think fictional Gump would be the better ballplayer, seeing as how he could certainly run fast, and besides Snoopy would never break a sweat in those sunglasses. Snoopy kind of becomes a dick when he puts on eyewear.
Oh. Torre. The Dodgers getting Torre is it seems the greatest move they've made since drafting Piazza in 1998. Does anyone recall the Dodgers picking up a crusty old veteran that year named Kirk Gibson, who single handedly carried the Dodgers on his gimpy leg to a World Championship (see if you can out-hyperbole that, Mr. Henson!).
Not even going that far back, I would say that there are at least 5 players (I'm being generous) on the Dodgers current roster whose acquisition will have more of an effect on the fate of the 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers than a green tea freebasing manager.
I don't think Henson knows who Joe Torre really is. Look at his criticism of Little:
Little, a man of consummate integrity whose limitations were restricted to sixth-inning pitching changes and a growing inability to communicate with a certain curmudgeonly second baseman, saw through the charade. Henson believes it seems that a change was needed from a manager with a bunch of integrity and class who couldn't manage a bullpen or an infielder. Let me correct this by re-writing the sentence:
Torre, a man of consummate integrity whose limitations were restricted to sixth-inning pitching changes and a growing inability to communicate with a certain curmudgeonly third baseman, saw through the charade.
But I digress.
In comes Torre, a .605 winning percentage in 12 seasons with the Yankees, a .476 mark in 15 National League seasons before that.
Yes, capital move old sport in bringing in a guy whose career in the National League is that of a losing manager. This is the New Torre, the Torre given credit only for successes and no blame for failures.
"The free agent market is thin, and any team that is trying to build via free agency is bound to be disappointed," he said. "Our young players, we need to maximize their ability. It's also about the individual players we have here getting better. You're not always going to be able to call the cavalry."
McCourt and Colletti did, however, bring in the equivalent of Gen. Philip Sheridan, who any Civil War buff knows was assigned to duty in the West after distinguishing himself in the East by playing a large role in Lee's surrender at Appomattox.
Torre knows the drill. He knows about expectations. He knows to watch his back. Given the ammunition, he might even take the Dodgers to a World Series before handing over the reins to Mattingly.
This might turn out to be McCourt's finest hour, Colletti's greatest get. Just don't let the kids in on the details.
Colletti's greatest "get" is a manager with exactly the same flaws as the previous guy and who has had a losing record when not backed by the Yankees.
If I were a Dodger fan (and I'm not even close) I would lament the loss of DePodesta and wonder why exactly Frank McCourt is batshit insane.Labels: dodgers, don mattingly, frank mccourt, joe torre, ned colletti, re-animated zombified ballplayers, references to george romero films, steven henson
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 9:18 AM
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Tuesday, October 30, 2007 |
Mr. Class
With the announcement of Torre to the Dodgers imminent, reports say that LA may have been in contact with the Torre camp prior to his infamous Tampa refusal:
According to several people, the Dodgers inquired about Torre's interest before he rejected a one-year deal for $5 million with a chance to earn $3 million in incentives and stay with the Yankees.
Was Joe "insulted" by the contract offer from New York because he knew the Dodgers offered more years? Did he just want to go out with the city and reporters all kissing his rings and throwing the team under the bus?
Torre knew the terms of the Yankee offer prior to requesting a trip to Tampa. Now it seems he also had the framework for a Dodger offer as well.
If you ask Torre about it, of course he'll deny it, as he did on last night's Late Show with David Letterman:
"I know it's been rumored, and you pick up the local paper and there's something in there about going to L.A.," Torre said. "There has been a time or two when there's something in the paper that hasn't been true."
Is that an outright lie or is it just a case of careful speech "sometimes things aren't true" hints at this also being one of them, but doesn't come right out and state it.
Also, this Freudian slip was the giveaway:
Letterman: "If you want to manage again in 2008, where are the three places you might go?"
Torre: "I don't know. What's available? The Dodgers have a contract, a manager. And the angels have a very good manager."
The Dodgers have a contract? Of course they do, Joe, but feel free to continue lying to everyone, making the Yankees out to be the bad guys, and skipping town. Letterman, like everyone else seemingly in the media, keeps getting confused by the fact that Joe Torre was not fired because he kept mentioning how the team should have "wanted (Torre) back."
Does anyone recall when reporters asked Lou Pinella if he was interested in the Yankees job that Joe Torre was still under contract, and that to speak to that or to the Yankees would be a show of disrespect?
Too bad Joe doesn't seem to hold that same regard for Grady Little.
A tale of two stories:
Man is highest paid person in his job, is offered new contract that will keep him highest paid person at his job, opts not to sign contract, rumors persist that there was a standing backdoor offer with another club, has roses thrown at feet and is given key to city.
Man is highest paid person in his job, is offered a contract extension that will keep him highest paid person at his job, opts out of contract, rumors persist that there was a standing backdoor offer with another club, is thrown to wolves and called greedy and doesn't care about winning and is all about himself.
I'm not asking anyone to let up on A-Rod (not anymore, mind you) but is what Torre did really all that different?
Classy, Joe. Really classy.Labels: dodgers, joe torre
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 10:51 AM
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Torre, Favorite Toy to Reunite?
Torre could be LA bound.
Torre will take Dodgers job if, when, it opens
Monday, Oct 29, 2007 7:21 am EDT
If divorce proceedings between Grady Little and the Dodgers go the distance, as many expect, The New York Post has learned Joe Torre has been targeted as the manager to heal a fractured Los Angeles clubhouse.
According to two people with knowledge of the Dodgers' universe, the club and Little are talking about a buyout that would leave the manager's office in Chavez Ravine vacant for Torre to inherit. Since none of Little's coaches is signed for next year and he is ($1 million and an undisclosed option for 2009), there has been speculation Little is out.
Torre, who wants to manage again, is interested in talking to the Dodgers if the job becomes available.
So the Dodgers want to replace a manager who doesn't understand in-game tactics or how to manage a bullpen with a manager who doesn't understand in-game tactic or how to manage a bullpen and is also actively trying to embarrass his former employers in the press and tonight on Letterman.
Why would Joe take the job? Well he gets to abuse the right arm of Scott Proctor again. Who could resist that?Labels: dodgers, joe torre, scott proctor
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 11:45 AM
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Peter and Joseph, Sitting in a Tree
Bear in mind, this was posted on Peter Abraham's blog five hours after the Torre decision came down. I mean, just start with the headline:
Move starting to backfire on Yanks already Well I assume we'll see how the move "backfires" in the article, right? Posada signed with Houston? A-Rod opted out and went to Boston? Rivera is going to be setting up for Trevor Hoffman in 2008?
Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci is right on the mark with this column.
As he points out, Joe Maddon and Ozzie Guillen got multi-year extensions. Joe Torre was offered one year? Nobody is buying what the Yankees are trying to sell.
The Yankees better hope whoever gets the job gets off to a good start. There can be no honeymoon for the next manager based on the comments of Randy Levine. If 94 wins and a playoff berth aren’t good enough, the next guy better win 95 games and get in the ALCS. Because Kenny Williams made an idiotic move to extend Ozzie Guillen, who is perhaps the worst manager in the game (well, Dusty Baker is back now, so there will be some competition) the Yankees should feel compelled to follow suit?
Oh. So.. no backfiring except for sportswriters and the media, whom Joe "managed" his entire career, are upset that he's gone. Because he was their friend.
Seriously if you think I'm kidding, just look at Abraham's entire blog for the day:
Shocking day marks end of an era
An offer he had to refuse
So who’s in charge here?
Hendricks: Joe special to Pettitte
Please Peter, find more breaking news like Andy Pettitte's agent saying that Andy Pettitte liked Joe Torre.
The entire blog is full of blaming every playoff loss on the players and crediting every postseason berth to the manager.
Sorry Pete. Can't have it both ways.
Jim Leyritz had a good take on it on ESPN. He said that he didn't think the offer was unfair, and that one year made sense because if Torre didn't at least make the World Series in 2008 he would have been fired anyway.Labels: douchebag, joe torre, peteabe
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 12:25 AM
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Tuesday, October 09, 2007 |
Blind Torre Defense, Part 1
Jay Greenberg:
TORRE DOESN'T DESERVE BOSS' BONEHEAD THREATS
October 9, 2007 -- JOE TORRE receives one last second-guess for the road, for starting a pitcher on three days' rest who didn't last the second inning. Even if the alternative, Mike Mussina, who pitched a scary tuneup to end a largely terrible season, gave up the two insurance runs in relief of Chien-Ming Wang that cost the Yankees the game. Don't second guess Torre, folks, it was Mussina that cost the Yankees the game.
Wang: 1.0 IP, 5 H. 4 R
Mussina: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R
Yep, definitely. Problem was Mussina, Torre's a genius, Boss is a bonehead.
I would be glad to continue to post the rest of the article, but you can check it out yourself if you wish. It's all praising Torre for every win the Yankees ever got under him, and slamming the players for not pulling through when they lost.
I like that he also rips the Danny Tartabull signing as one instance where the Boss is a bonehead, but you'd think Genius Joe could manage Tartabull to many rings, right?Labels: big stein, jay greenberg, joe torre, torre is dumb
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 1:53 PM
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Stick to Your Guns, George
Fire Joe Torre. Do it quickly, do it before the dust settles. Sure, call him and give him a chance to go out on a "retirement" as a gentleman, but do it now.
It's high time the media stopped attributing every Yankee triumph to the manager and every Yankee misstep to its best player.
It's time the media stop overlooking the failures of the manager in starting players who are ill-equiped to be starters (Hi, Eyechart!) in postseason games and starting the "red-hot" (postseason average: under .200) Hideki Matsui in every game over the Yankees' second best hitter in Jason Giambi.
It's time the Yankees stopped having a manager who only trusts certain players based on ridiculous standards like "guts" and "hearts of lions" and "veteraness" and time for a guy who will play the BEST players available to win games.
It's time for a manager who will try to win games, and not eshew tactics such as bunting on a pitcher with a bum ankle because he doesn't want to "play the game that way."
It's time for the highest paid manager in the history of baseball to look back and wonder why he's been a complete failure for the past four years, and wonder what happened to the free ride he's been given.
It's time for the media to finally place blame where it's deserved, and lay it in the lap of the man they'd praise if the Yankees had won.
Most importantly, it's time for the man to step down. It's time for him to move on and realize he can't motivate a team anymore, and that the old axiom about a team taking on the personality of its manager is true. An even keel and calmness is good in the face of adversity, but it's been time for the Yankees to show some fire for many years, and instead they've acted like they sit on the bench, sipping green tea, waiting for someone else to win it for them.Labels: alcs, joe torre, torre is dumb
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 12:03 AM
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Joe Torre Needs to Be Fired Immediately
Before Game 3.
I don't care if the Yankees storm back and win the World Series, he needs to go.
- He's benching the second best hitter on the team in order to play one of "his guys" in Matsui, who is injured and looks terrible.
- He wasted Phil Hughes in garbage time when the game was already out of hand yesterday, so he wasn't available to come in today when the game was tied and winnable.
- He never protested for a suspension of the game when Joba was clearly being bothered by external forces (insects on his eyeballs).
- He stacked a lineup full of lefties against Sabathia, who is death on lefties, and then must have realized his mistake in the 4th inning because he hit Duncan for Mientkiewicz, which effectively left them a man short on the roster.
- He stuck with Wang way too long yesterday and then inexplicably replaced him with Ohlendorf and not Hughes, then must have realized his mistake and corrected himself later, blowing another roster spot.
- The team looks flat and like they're going through the motions.
I know there's no way Cash lets Donnie take the reigns in the postseason, so that's wishful thinking. But this is the sixth consecutive year that Torre is pissing away the postseason. Let him go. Now. Labels: alds, joe torre, torre is dumb
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 6:39 PM
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