It's all over the New York and national news today, and it's even upstaged last night's exciting Red Sox win. The Yankees' brass attempted to save face by offering Joe Torre a one-year deal with incentives to remain as manager. It was a 33% pay cut over his previous deal at the base, but he could only make it back if the Yankees went to the World Series.It was a cheap, petty set-up to try and not fire him. They knew he wanted a multi-year deal and knew he would reject it. They treated him shabbily the last ten days. Torre showed enough class to meet with the Yankee boneheads to reject the offer in person.
By saying no to the Yankees yesterday, Joe Torre got his dignity back. Good for him.
And I think that Vito Spatafore, onetime Sopranos henchman, says it best for Torre here. (My thanks to Joe Gannascoli and his web site for the photo.)
WIth Torre gone, the Yankees will revert back to the Billy Martin days, class-wise. Joe put a noble face on a sleazy, backstabbing organization. Now? Yuck-O-Rama. Posada and Riveira will want top dollar and then some now, if they didn't before - there's nothing else left for them to hang on to. Why else should they stay? Yankee honor? Integrity? Esprit de corps? Joe packed all that and took it with him. It goes where he does. Watch Cashman head for the door by next season's end, as the Steinbrenner wolf pack fights over what's left of George's carcass. Fittingly, they'll be tearing down the stadium after next year. (Don't expect the ghosts of Dimaggio or Ruth to head across the street, either.) Bon appetite, Yankee fans.
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