As if it wasn't bad enough that I drove all the way to Detroit to see the Yankees get embarrassed, now I have to endure the annual tradition in New York at the end of a disappointing Yankees postseason. Bogus reports that Joe Torre is going to be replaced. Sorry to break it to you, but it's not going to happen.
Every year the media prints the same thing, and time and time again Steinbrenner never goes through with it. Why not? This is because Torre is the best manager in the league.
Just check his stats. In his 10 seasons with the Yanks, Joe has a .607 winning percentage, with 10 American League East titles, six AL Pennants, and four World Series rings. Lou Pinella isn't going to bring the Yankees those numbers.
Now I know what you're saying, any manager could do what Torre did with that lineup, but you're wrong. With Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui, Robinson Cano and Carl Pavano all on the disabled list this year, the Yankees were put in a difficult position. Torre made all the right moves by bringing up baby bombers like Melky Cabrera, and filled all the holes in his lineup with sluggers like Bobby Abreu.
Don't blame the Yankees postseason collapse on Torre. He had to start Jaret Wright in game four. The Yankees look at the playoffs as a short 16-game season. He couldn't afford to wear out Chien-Ming Wang or Mike Mussina in the fourth game, because he needed them for what was supposed to be a long October.
Alex Rodriguez deserved to be 8th in the line-up. If you want to blame the Yankees defeat on anyone, blame it on that choke artist. A-Rod single handedly destroyed the chemistry of the team and disrupted what could have been the greatest lineup of our time.
So now the Yankees look to the future. Drop A-Rod. He can't produce in New York and has some serious psychiatric issues. I don't care if you trade him for a box of Cracker-Jacks, just get him off the team before he does any more damage.
Drop Randy Johnson. He's too unpredictable and gives up too many big runs. Cory Lidle and Wright have no business being on the Yankees in the first place. Get rid of them, too. Drop Sheffield. He's a great player but we have no room for the guy and Abreu is a better fit at right field. He is just nasty. As for Matsui, start him in left, and let Melky rotate around the outfield, giving everyone a day off.
Pick up a couple starting pitchers, a new set up guy and a mentally capable third baseman, and the Yanks are good to go for next year. Sorry, Torre's not going anywhere. So all you haters can go put your Red Sox hats back on and go watch "Fever Pitch" for the 15th time.
