Nothing’s every easy with the Yankees, now is it?
First everybody’s screaming for Torre’s head (including me), and then there’s the calm and recognition that maybe managing the Yankees–these Yankees–isn’t quite so easy.
And I see both sides.
There’s a lot of pressure that comes with managing the Yankees, for Steinbrenner, in this town. The media is relentless, and unless you are prepared to deal with it day in and day out over the long season, you could be in trouble. Plus, theNothing’s every easy with the Yankees, now is it?
First everybody’s screaming for Torre’s head (including me), and then there’s the calm and recognition that maybe managing the Yankees–these Yankees–isn’t quite so easy.
And I see both sides.
There’s a lot of pressure that comes with managing the Yankees, for Steinbrenner, in this town. The media is relentless, and unless you are prepared to deal with it day in and day out over the long season, you could be in trouble. Plus, the new Yankee Stadium opens in 2009, and they’ll want someone with stature managing the Yankees at that time. Not to mention that Rivera, Pettitte and Posada have all said that Torre is a big motivator to their return (that could just be a ploy for more money, but you never know).
And yet, for all of Torre’s accomplishments, the Yankees have not showed up to play–not gotten the big hits and done the little things right–when it came down to crunch time. They’ve been knocked out of the first round of the playoffs three years in a row.
Then again, it isn’t his fault that the Yankees have been pitching thin. If Wang pitches like he did most of the year, then the Yankees would be playing the Red Sox tonight, and there’s no Torre talk at all.
So what’s going to happen? Not sure.
Steinbrenner hates Torre–hates him–but also probably realizes (even with his diminishing capacities) that not just anyone can steer the ship.
It’s going to be an interesting off season to be sure.
