State Of The Yankees-Should Joe Torre Be Fired?

[Mitchell]

As most of us baseball fans know, the New York Yankees have certainly been struggling lately, currently at 8-12, in last place in the American League East, already 5 1-2 games out of first. Tonight begins a three game series with the Red Sox in the Bronx.
We all know that the Yankees have been disappointing this year, with their performance, and 200 million dollar payroll. As disappointing as the Yankees have been, the question is: Is manager Joe Torre at fault?
We know that the Yankees have pitching injuries, and a certain amount of age on their pitching staff. Many Yankee fans, including some in my own family, have criticized Torre for "overmanaging". I dont watch the Yankees on a regular basis, admittedly, and only catch them on either ESPN national games, or through their website, and sports news.
In his 12th season, has Torre become stale? Looking at it from a numbers standpoint, the Yankees, although they havent won the World Series since 2000, have never missed the playoffs in any of Torre's seasons as manager, and have won the division each of the last nine years, and ten out of the last eleven.
Last year, as most know, my Atlanta Braves missed the playoffs after fourteen straight division titles. Bobby Cox wasnt made the goat for the poor season last year. He was re signed, the team addressed it's Achillies Heel, the bullpen, and now, knock on wood, except for an unfortunate meltdown in Florida on Wednesday night, the team has played well this year, only 1-2 game out of first place.
I dont know what the answer with the Yankees is. I know they have a lot of injuries, but it seems to me that it isnt all Torre's fault.
I would appreciate feedback from any baseball fans, and especially Yankee fans. Thanks.

Mitch

 

[Goodieluver]

I think the major problem was that their starting pitching has exploded on the dl

 

[ticklingfeet4fu]

They have their starting pitching injuried. They are continuing to hit. But with their starters averaging only 4 2/3 innings and an ERA of about 6.50 what is Torre suppose to do here??? Is he using his bullpen too much??? Yes he is!!! But if your starters can't get out of the fifth inning before imploding exactly what is he suppose to do??? All the money in the world will not buy good pitching. If they would allow starters to throw 140 to 150 pitches like they use to, then maybe their pitchers wouldn't be hurt all the time. But now baseball is a system. It has hurt the game and the way it is managed. If anyone should be fired it should be the players. And they can't blame Alex Rodriguez either.

 

[Knox The Hatter]

I laughed this morning when my dad told me they should've fired him after Alomar hit that home run in '97 😛

I just let the arrow hover over the time stamp on the bottom right of the lower bar. The date popped up. April 29, 2007. Steinbrenner's past history notwithstanding, it's too goddamn early to have this debate. The pitching will most likely right itself...whether A-Rod's still tearing the league up by that time, we don't know, but in all likelihood, the Yankees will be in a commanding position during the middle of June. We'll get a better picture by then.

 

[luvgirlsfeet]

Coming from a Red Sox fan

He's doing the best he can with the players he has that are healthy. But to answer the question "NO" he shouldnt be fired. It's not Torre's fault.

 

[Mitchell]

Steinbrenner isnt nearly as trigger happy with firing managers as he used to be. Back in the 1980s, before his banishment, he used to fire managers with regularity in April, and, one season, had three managers in a year. In 1985, he fired Yankee legend Yogi Berra only sixteen games into the season, stunning Berra's whole team.
Personally, even though the Yankees lost again today, and continue to sit in the cellar, 6 1-2 games out, I don't think they should fire Torre. Not after eleven years, eleven playoff appearances, and ten division titles. Actually, with some of the bad starts the Braves got off to, in some of their division title years, Bobby Cox would have well been fired many times, under this philosophy, during many April's and May's.
If the Yankees pitching staff gets healthy, they should right themselves. Personally, I think they need to keep Joe for the whole season, and see how it plays out. As for whether they should fire him if the Yankees were to miss the playoffs, that's up for debate. After all, he did win ten division titles, and four World Series before, and the Braves didnt fire Bobby Cox for their poor year last year. I think Joe should be given the whole season, before any decision is made.

Mitch

 

[Mitchell]

One other point I want to make: Even though I don't feel Torre should be fired, one would be amazed if they visited the Yankees official message board, and clicked on their fan forum, and saw the incredible amount of "Fire Torre" threads. These people are panicking in April. I dont know whether fans are posting such threads to be contrary, or just to vent their frustration at the Yankees poor start. Seeing those threads, is what caused me to decide to post this thread, and get some feedback from our forum.

Mitch

 

[ticklingfeet4fu]

One other point I want to make: Even though I don't feel Torre should be fired, one would be amazed if they visited the Yankees official message board, and clicked on their fan forum, and saw the incredible amount of "Fire Torre" threads. These people are panicking in April. I dont know whether fans are posting such threads to be contrary, or just to vent their frustration at the Yankees poor start. Seeing those threads, is what caused me to decide to post this thread, and get some feedback from our forum.

Mitch

No Mitchell, it is not panick. It is only because 75% of all Yankees fans are spoiled idiots. They aren't true Yankee fans. They know it and now you know it. True Yankees fans understand what is happening and are just waiting.

 

[Mitchell]

4u, I've always known it, actually. I'm from the New York City area originally, lived there for 29 years before moving here in 1999, so I've read all the back page headlines of the Post, and Daily News, and heard all the speculation on all talk WFAN, regarding sports teams, managers, and head coaches. I clearly remember Steinbrenner's managerial revolving door, with the Yankees, in the 80s, and early 90s, before Torre came on board. It was disgraceful.
Although I hate the fact that the Yankees have a 200 million dollar payroll, I dont hate the team personally, and I've always liked Torre, he is a class act. While it might be funny to people if the Yankees were to crash and burn this year, with that huge payroll, there is another level of me that hopes they come out of it some, to save Torre's job.
I read a post on the Yankees board that one of the WFAN commentators said he believes Torre would be safe until about June, but, that if the Yankees are still struggling, and not in the race by then, and get wiped out in their series with the Red Sox, and Mets, that he might be gone then. June is a long way off, and there is a lot of baseball to be played between now and then. If the Yankees get healthy, with their roster, I believe that they will probably get back in the race.

Mitch

 

[JPie1]

No Mitchell, it is not panick. It is only because 75% of all Yankees fans are spoiled idiots. They aren't true Yankee fans. They know it and now you know it. True Yankees fans understand what is happening and are just waiting.

True Yankee fans understand. We believe in Joe and we believe in the Yankees. Let's see what these people say the end of Sept, as long as the pitching get's back in place all will be fine, it is way too early to be calling this season a dud. The Yanks will be there.

 

[ticklingfeet4fu]

True Yankee fans understand. We believe in Joe and we believe in the Yankees. Let's see what these people say the end of Sept, as long as the pitching get's back in place all will be fine, it is way too early to be calling this season a dud. The Yanks will be there.

Like I said JPie, true Yankee fans do understand. You are obviously one of those that does understand the situation. Let's see this staff get healthy first before anyone judges Torre. He is a really good manager and his job should not be in jeopardy everytime the Yankees lose a game.

 

[giantfan121262]

No Torre should not be fired. Cashman should for making the trades he did for Pavano, Farnsworth, and some of the other washed up duds he overpaid for. Torre can only play the hands that he has been dealt, and in this case he is not playing with a full house.

 

[Mitchell]

Yankees won big last night in Texas. Let's see if that is a one game abberation, or the beginning of a turnaround. Again, I agree with you guys. I feel Torre should not be fired. The pitching injuries and the team's poor play is not his fault. As the manager, he can only do so much.

Mitch

 

[..Glamorous..]

Its obviously pointless to fire Torre.. as I see it sometimes your gunna have a bad start or a bad season all together.. granted the yankees arent doing as well as usual or as well as I would like them to be but, thats still no reason to fire him. The only thing you can do at this point is to wait and see what happens. You never know they may get back into the swing of things and do great for the rest of the season.. but either way I dont blame Torre in anyway. So heres hoping.

 

[Mitchell]

Well, after losing two of three to the White Sox, the Yankees really have their work cut out for them. Three against Steinbrenner's hated first place Mets, and then three with his other despised team, the first place Red Sox.
Right now, the Yankees just look lost, and the screaming on the Yankee message board for Torre to get fired is getting louder and more consistent.
As much as I hope that Torre stays for the whole season, I think it very possible that by the time the Yankees come out of the Mets/Red Sox stretch, either next month, or maybe even as early as next week, if they are, say, 11 or 12 games out of first, at the end of next week's Red Sox series, that Torre could be gone. Steinbrenner is showing incredible patience. Had this been the 1980s, Torre would have probably lost his job already.
This is a very critical stretch, for Torre, and the Yankees. Honestly, unless the team turns things around very quickly, I will be surprised if he lasts through the season without getting fired.

Mitch

 

[phatteus]

First, let me say Let's Go Mets for taking AT LEAST two out of three from the Yankees.

Secondly, let me say that I am a Mets fan, and am not fond of the Yankees, but I have incredible respect for the team that I have watched do the impossible for FAR too many years.

Secondly, while I do not hate the Yankees, (hell, I actively did not root against them when I watched them play the White Sox.. AKA the Yankees wannabes of the Midwest) I have a deep and hateful malice toward the fake fans that ticklingfeet4fun mentioned earlier in this thread. Real fans of the sport unite, there are far too many front-runners out there.
footnote: I hate that the Yankees insignia has become more of a fashion statement than a rooting interest..

Fourthly (is that a word?) F the Yankees, they are no longer the powerhouse they were in the 90s. The world, believe it or not, will not end when the Yankees fail to make the playoffs.. but don't count them out yet, it's only May.

That said, Joe Torre, my second favorite manager in New York, does not deserve to be fired. I agree with GiantFan that Cashman should be looked at before Torre, simply based on the fact that he has failed to deliver the talent that Uncle George's wallet can obviously afford.

Wait until the Amazins win another championship, and we'll see how many of these fake fans hop the river.

 

[Mitchell]

Well, as probably all baseball fans know, the Yankees beat the Red Sox tonight, to take two of three from them in this series.
While the Yankees are still far back in both the AL East and Wild Card races, it could well be that tonight's victory may have saved Torre's job. I heard a very interesting commentary given by Joe Simpson, the Atlanta Braves broadcaster, during tonight's Braves-Mets telecast on TBS. Simpson outright said, that, as he had heard it, George Steinbrenner flew to New York for tonight's game between the Sox and Yankees, and, if the Yankees had lost that game, Torre was going to be fired immediately. While this may be a rumor, it would seem to me that Simpson must have heard it from some reliable source, to be able to pose such a serious comment, about a respected manager's long time job. We will probably never know, as the Yankees did win.
In spite of the Yankees two wins this week, I still feel that unless the Yankees rebound, and make at least the wild card, Torre will be let go at the end of the season, even if he isnt fired during the season. Whether the Yankees situation is Torre's fault or not, it would seem likely that the owner would more easily blame one manager, as opposed to twenty five underachieving, high paid Yankees players.
Anyhow, just wanted to post what I heard tonight. It will be interesting to see how the Yankees do now.

Mitch

 

[Mitchell]

I just read an article on Comcast Sports News concerning the Yankees situation, posted twenty minutes ago, and a direct quote from George Steinbrenner.
According to the article, Steinbrenner said: "Torre is safe, for now", but was less generous about General Manager Brian Cashman, describing Cashman's situation by saying the GM is on a quote "Big Hook". Additionally, Steinbrenner addressed the Jason Giambi steroids issue by saying:" He, (Giambi) should have kept his mouth shut, now, it's up to the commissioner, as to what, if anything, to do with him"
From Steinbrenner's comments, it sounds to me as if the Yankees continue to flounder, Brian Cashman will be gone soon. As for Torre, his "being safe, for now" doesnt mean that if the Yankees dont turn it around and get into at least the wild card race, in say, a month or two from now, that he wont be gone. At best, it would seem the Yankees need to make the playoffs, or, both Torre, and Cashman, will likely be out of their jobs by season's end.
Interesting. We'll see if the Yankees do turn it around, and what, if anything, will happen with Torre and Cashman.

Mitch

 

[tklgal226]

NO

Torre is the man I love to hate almost as much as Jeter. I have a great deal of respect for him as a coach and see him in part as the face of the Yankees. The players he has to work with this year are dissapointing at best as the Yankees are riddled w/ juiced giants,walking egos, and - let's face it - old men. He needs not be punished for their mistakes.

Unless he wanted to come over to the Red Sox to join our staff - not a a manager, but some lower 'technically-retired-but-helping-out-anyways' type position.

I'm die hard for my Sox but I can't take it away from him - Joe Torre is one of the best coaches in modern baseball, end of story.