Obviously, Joe Torre Was The Problem All Along

rickchand|published: Mon 9th October, 12:00 2006

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And so there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth in Yankee Land, as you probably expected. Word on the street is that manager Joe Torre is as good as out, and that Lou Piniella — yow — is in. Seems rather rash to us, but what do we know? Only what we read in the papers ... and in various Yankees blogs. Please enjoy.

• Off The Facade. Today, the news is that Joe Torre is being given a choice to either quit or be fired. It's not firing Torre I'd object to, it's the reason why they'd be doing it that bothers me, and makes me concerned that at least some parts of the bad old days of 20 years ago could be coming back as an aging King George grows increasingly desperate for one more ring before he goes.

• Pinstripe Alley. I'll write up my thoughts after I take a bit more time. I do think it's time for Joe to step down. The decision to squeeze Sheffield and Matsui back in to the mix after they missed almost the entire season had many of us spooked. And WE WERE RIGHT.

• Yankees Chick. Moving on.......LOU PINIELLA?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!??!??!?!?!?! I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Firing Torre and hiring that maniac isn't the answer. As much as I b*tched and whined about him all year, I never truly wanted him fired because I knew this spazz would be the first candidate. He will never work in NY. He just won't. We don't have a team that he can throw chairs at.

• Bleeding Pinstripes. The Yankees and their fans are never eliminated as an afterthought. They are always taken down in a public execution. They are led to the gallows to the raucous cheers of the gathered crowds. They are read the charges of high crimes and misdemeanors against them, and they are always the same. Their misdemeanor? Gluttony. Their high crime? Nobility. And then they are very publicly hanged while the throngs roar with approval. The masses will not be denied their opportunity to watch the mighty fall.

Yanks Return, Torre Twists [New York Daily News] Source: Joe Is On His Way Out [New York Post]

(By the way ... "Tell Them I'm coming ... and I'm bringing hell with me!")