DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Looks like Joe is gone

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3069115

Torre turns down offer to return as Yanks' skipper

The Yankees offered Torre a one-year deal with a base salary of $5 million and incentives that would have increased his salary to $8 million based on postseason performance. Under that offer, if Torre reached the World Series in 2008, an option for 2009 would have vested.

Torre traveled to Tampa from New York on Thursday with general manager Brian Cashman and chief operating officer Lonn Trost. The manager was at Legends Field for about an hour and then left for the airport.

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, sons Hal and Hank and team president Randy Levine were also at the team's spring training complex. Torre's arrival was first reported by the New York Post.

"More meetings. We're working on it," Levine said earlier Thursday.

With nothing to announce on Torre, Cashman and Trost returned to New York on Wednesday evening. At the time, they gave no indication they would return the next day -- accompanied by the manager.

"We hold Joe Torre in the highest regard and, obviously, that's why we're taking the time ... to determine what's best for us as we move forward and whether he's a part of that or not," Cashman said Wednesday.

While the team's top officials met in Florida, some fans signed a petition Wednesday at a "Save Joe Torre" rally near Times Square in New York.

Steinbrenner did not comment -- he hasn't discussed Torre's future publicly since he told The Record of Hackensack, N.J., on Oct. 6 that he didn't think he'd bring back Torre if the Yankees failed to advance to the AL Championship Series. Cleveland then eliminated New York in four games, the Yankees' third straight first-round exit.

The Yankees also have not yet reached out to Ray Schulte, the agent for bench coach Don Mattingly.

Cashman did indicate a subtle shift in the Yankees' power structure. Asked whether the 77-year-old owner will pick the manager, the general manager responded: "The Boss owns the franchise, so obviously, the Boss, Hank and Hal Steinbrenner are obviously the ownership group that I answer to."

Before Wednesday's afternoon meeting, there was a morning session that also included senior vice president of baseball operations Mark Newman, scouting director Damon Oppenheimer and special adviser Gene Michael.

Cashman said the Yankees are maintaining their position that they will not negotiate with Alex Rodriguez if he terminates his $252 million, 10-year contract.

Rodriguez, who has three seasons left on the deal, must decide by the 10th day following the World Series.

"I can reaffirm that, if Alex Rodriguez opts out of his contract, then we will not participate in his free agency," Cashman said. "That is accurate and that is definitive."

Rodriguez met for three days this week in California with his agent, Scott Boras, to determine his strategy.

"He said he's comfortable playing in New York and enjoys it," Boras said. "However he has a right available to him that is solely in his discretion."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

He gave them 4 World Series titles and reached the post season all 12 seasons he was there. He deserved a better offer than a 1 year deal

Good for Joe!

I guess even Joe got sick of the Yankees too.

Best of luck to Joe, I've always liked him, even though he was Darth Vader of the Empire, before movies 1, 2, 3, and 6.

Hopefully he can catch on and get a coaching job somewhere else, if that's where his heart is.

Whatever. A chimp with a tambourine could have lead this team to the playoffs.

I hate the yankees....but I like Joe

Very down to earth guy who never caused problems thru the media..

he was just sick of steinbrenners drama that he always creates and the lame one year offer....

hes a good guy that got low balled in a way..

He won't be out of work long, if he so desires. Might see a switch with Joe going back to the Cards and LaRussa going to the Yankees.

Whatever, all the best Joe, this is a blessing in disguise.

Fire Dusty, hire Torre.

Come on Merth, there's more to it than that. Joe Torre can manage a close inning better than any manager I know of. I admit, he hasn't been the same since overextending Rivera in the '01 World Series, but, he's still the best manager out there.

The Yankees got fired up when they got way behind and played inspired to catch the Red Sox.. as soon as they realized they weren't going to catch them, it's like all of the wind came out of their sails.. well that and A-rod forgot how to hit..

ESPN today reportedly said that Torre may be headed to Tampa Bay.

I don't know how anyone could work for Steinbrenner for 12 years in the first place.

I thought it would be funny if he ended up w/ the Mets.

Let me be the first in line to ssay nobody really cares

Just clicking..

Love him or hate him, George Stienbrenner pays whatever he needs to pay to put quality ball players on that team. With a payroll as high as the Yankees, if I'm in Stienbrenners shoes, I'm thinking that over the last 12 years, the Yankees should have won more than 4 WS Rings..

So I don't blame him for not wanting to pay Joe Torre the big money guaranteed anymore..

NOW, having said that, there was probably a better way to handle the whole mess.. Calling Torre out in the middle of the ALDS against the Indians was just flat out STUPID!

If that's the way that Stienbrenner felt, he should have taken Joe aside and said,, Joe, listen,, I think you are losing it, I don't think you are what you once were and if you don't show me I'm wrong, we are going in a different direction at the end of our season. Simple, clean, honest,,, and that's the way you treat a man that deserves respect,, someone such as Torre.

Then, to make it smooth, you write Joe a check and say to him,, Here Joe,, here's $5 million,, Your fired, but your a good man, and I'm not going to embarrass you in public by telling the world you are fired. I'm going to let do a press conference and tell the world that you wish to step down from the Yankees.... that it's your choice..


If Steinbrenner handles it that way, the press, the Yankee fans,,,, the entire baseball world looks upon him as a good guy and Torre has nothing to say but Goodbye..

But NOOOOOOOO,,, Stienbrenners ego gets in the way and as usual, he makes an azz out of himself.

JMO!

I don't know if Joe is done. He came up as a Rook with the Cards so maybe he goes over there and LaRussa heads to NY.

Part of me thinks he is overrated with the money his team has spent on players but with FA ego's he has managed well, especially without homegrown talent and poor pitching.

6 Divisional Championships in 12 years is pretty impressive along with 12 straight playoff appearances and 4 rings..

Very impressive if you ask me,, and that's why I say he's a man that deserves to be treated with a whole hell of a lot more respect than the Yankee organization has done..

But still,, with that much talent,, there should have been more Rings,,,,

I think he left the way he coached...with class. He could have taken many, many zings at Georgey but he didn't.

Can you expect more than 25% of the years to have a championship? I actually think that is pretty good.

Having talent isn't enough, paying isn't enough...actually I think it gets harder the higher the payroll because the fans put more pressure upon that payroll and the expectations associated with spending money.

I think it gets harder because you get into a balance game of egos and emotions.

What I would like to know is if Joe had something to do with what players were picked or if that was just Cashman or George? Who was the idiot that didn't get them the pitching as their enemy was stocking up???? Who was at sleep at the wheel when that happened? That is what I would like to know.

Lots of rumors and comments I've heard is that LaRussa will stay in St. Louis, although I could see him in pinstripes till George goes off on one of his ego trips....

Anyway, I see both sides to this, George spent the money and expects results. Torre deserved better based on his track record 12 straight post seasons and 4 (read one every 3 years) W.S. titles. It could have been handled better. I don't see D.M. following Torre, noone is going to be able to follow that kind of act in N.Y.

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Lots of rumors and comments I've heard is that LaRussa will stay in St. Louis, although I could see him in pinstripes till George goes off on one of his ego trips....

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It really doesn't matter. If whoever gets hired to manage the Yanks doesn't have very thick skin and a Joe Torre Classy demeanor, he won't last a year...