Joe Torre, Hanging Around, Wondering What's Up

Wouldn't it be strange if, after all the fuss of the last few days, if the Yankees decided to keep Joe Torre after all? It certainly would signify, publicly, at last, that George Steinbrenner is finally being considered the doddering old man he is, and that his rantings are being treated with the seriousness they deserve. That said, it would make Torre's press conference from the other night seem rather silly; we'd wonder how often we have to say goodbye to that guy.

While some say Torre should go the Casey Stengel route, we look at a managerial possibility for the Yanks: Don Mattingly. We were talking to a life-long Yankees fan the other night about Donnie Baseball, and he said he didn't want him to get the job for one reason: "I can't boo Donnie." We found that charming; part of the job of being a Yankees fan is booing the manager, and if it's someone as beloved as Mattingly, it would be too painful. Of course, Mattingly brings his own curse.

We still hope Tony LaRussa ends up with the job. Watching him fight with the New York beat writers every day would be a sublime joy.

Yankees To Debate On Future Of Torre [New York Times] Joe Torre, I Have A Job For You [One More Dying Quail] Is There A Curse Of Mattingly? [Village Voice]