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Yankee fans of my generation grew up knowing nothing else but the world of George Steinbrenner. Now that the Boss has receded into the background, it has become harder to predict what will happen and when with these Yankees. The Tampa Summit ended yesterday with no official word on Joe Torre. GM Brian Cashman reiterated the team's stance on Alex Rodriguez; otherwise, bubkus.
All we can do is guess as to what's gunna happen. The Daily News speculates:
It has become clear that three scenarios are being considered: Bring Torre back on a two- or three-year deal; bring him back on a one-year deal for considerably less than what he earned last year; or let him go and move forward, likely with Don Mattingly taking over as manager. Neither Mattingly nor any other candidate besides the incumbent was discussed yesterday."The decision that we're talking about is obviously rehiring somebody," Cashman said. "There's a negotiation if you do so. Those are the decisions we have to come to if that's the direction we choose to go....We're having the dialogue with all the relevant parties."
Pete Abraham thinks the Yankees have become boring while Mike Vaccaro speaks to a baseball executive who thinks the Yankee situation is more interesting than what's going on in the playoffs.
I like Joel Sherman's take.
NYT, 4/10/04 - "As the Yankees took another step toward acclimating themselves after a trip to Japan, Manager Joe Torre remained in no hurry to sign the two-year contract extension that the club has discussed with him."
Having Joe Torre come back at a discount is unacceptable in my view. If he's getting less valuable as a manager why do you want to bring him back? If the F.O. wants Torre back the only option I see is a one-year contract with the same value including incentives. Giving Torre a pay cut and Torre accepting it is ridiculous. Managers who are growing less valuable to a team shouldn't be retained, they should be replaced.
Having said that, I have a hard time believeing that after the regular season that Torre all of a sudden forgets how to manage in the playoffs. Do I think he's the answer for next year? Don't know. What I do know is that whomever manages next year, it will not make much of a difference; the Yanks'll win 90+ games (barring injury). I'd be more concerned with the construction of the roster, than the person @ the helm.
For example, the 1998 Yankees won 114 games, and they added a pitcher who came off back to back triple crown seasons. On paper, you would think they'd never lose a game... The 1999 Yankees "slumped" to 98 wins.
In 2003, the Yanks won 101 games with Ventura & Boone manning 3b. Rodriguez came on board, and the Yanks won 101, 95, 97 and 94 games. I'd be happy if Rodriguez comes back, but it isn't the end of the world if he doesn't.
Meanwhile, Bowa is one of the best 3B coaches in the game, and his work with the infielders, especially Cano, suggests to me that he should stay in that role.
13 14 The gains of having A-Rod, in terms of the Yanks' final record, were likely not helped by the poor pitching the Yanks have had in A-Rod's tenure in NY. You'd expect adding A-Rod would add a few wins to the bottom line . . . but that assumes everything else stays constant, and especially from 2003 to 2004, it did not.
With Rodriguez, the Yanks led the AL with 161 RCAA. By far the best in the league (Detroit was 2nd, with 91). Had they gotten a league avg 3b, they would've had 78, which would've been good for second in the league, behind Detroit. It's an oversimplification, but one made to make a point.
Anyway, the Yanks really need to figure a way to shore up their pitching staff, it's what killed and has been killing them since 2004.
Miguel Cairo.
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