Let me begin by stating that, despite disliking the Yankees, Joe Torre is my new hero. To work for a franchise and in a city where you're always going to be the scapegoat -- blamed for the bad and ignored about the good -- has got to get to a person, yet he did it with class and dignity. Even if you hate the team, you have got to respect that.
And then there is that whole leading the team to four Championships and nine straight division championships thing. Sure, the Yankees haven't won in a while -- but it's not his fault. (See, e.g., Jeter, Derek and his surprisingly low 2007 postseason batting average.)
But I digress. To have your job threatened in the middle of the postseason, and then left guessing for days on end is bad enough, but then, to have the ownership insult you with a low-ball contract offer is insulting. It takes guts to walk away from a job you clearly love, with millions of dollars on the table. But clearly the payoff was not worth the hassle.
Good for you, Joe.
6 comments:
I agree, except that with the "low ball" contract he would have remained the highest paid manager in baseball. I'm not sure any manager has ever been worth $5 million.
Still, I agree that I generally like Joe Torre, and I'm glad to see him leave rather than put up with Steinbrenner's shit anymore.
I meant "low ball" as in a reduction in his current salary. He didn't do anything to deserve that, except perhaps get a team filled with struggling, aging pitching and overpaid, egocentric stars into the playoffs where they proceeded to self-destruct.
It was a rookie contract offer and I, too, applaud him for walking away. Couldn't pay me $5mil for a year of putting up with baby Steinbrenners.
Ok, well, maybe.
I'd take $ 5 mil a year to get to hang out with baseball players all day and write up a lineup card. Heck, I'd take less than that -- even if it's for the Yankees.
Still, you can't blame the man for walking away from that nightmare.
I agree and disagree with that. Given that the Yankees management pretty much said they're giving him a pay cut for not winning the World Series, yes, I applaud him for walking away. But the stupid part is that they were giving him $7.5 million before, not that they were offering him $5 million now.
I agree with you on all counts here. I dislike the Yankees, but I can't say a bad word about Torre. he's one of the best in the game, and I saw from the press conferences leaving up to the end of the season, and from the sentiments of his players, that he's a class act all the way. The way he's been handled by Steinbrenner over the past few years is actually a stain on the game. It's ridiculous. I applaud Torre for walking away they way that he did. Accepting the salary cut would have been bending over, and there's no need to do that...
Post a Comment