Joe Torre has declined a one-year contract extension with the New York Yankees, declaring the offer an insult. Yankees brass proposed $5 million with an additional $3 million in incentives, which amounts to a substantial pay cut from previous years.
Undeniably, Torre has had a remarkable run with the Bronx Bombers, including four World Series titles and 12 straight years of post-season play. But even considering the team’s success during his tenure, Torre’s inability to progress to further rounds in recent playoffs effectively foreshadowed the end of his management days. In a city like New York, advancement is imperative and Torre has failed to move forward with each consecutive year.
In view of the team’s failure to make significant strides in the post-season, Yankees management made quite a generous offer. Torre would have been the highest paid manager in the game and would only be committed to the team for an extra year. He may have been better served by taking a step back to assess the situation before letting his pride get in the way.
However, the Yankees are arguably in a better position with former Yankees’ catcher Joe Girardi (natinal league manager of the year in 2006), taking over for Torre in 2008. The old adage of change for the sake of change is perfectly applicable in this situation. The team appeared to hit a wall in the last few seasons for various reasons, including the inability to cultivate a viable pitching staff and perhaps more importantly, out of a lack of motivation. Torre’s service to the team for such a significant number of years may have led to complacency in the system. With a new manager in place, players will have to be alert to the new expectations that are placed upon them. Perhaps this will ignite a fire under some of the veteran members of the team.
Thank goodness that the Yankees were able to avoid a massive public relations nightmare. Their offer signalled a desire to bring him back—on a short-term basis, and the hiring of Girardi as his replacement represents a movement towards the future as well as a connection to past glory (Girardi won three championships as player for the Yankees in ‘96, ‘98, and ‘99).
Torre got the last word on the topic by holding his own press conference to explain his reasons for not coming back. They may share the same name but Joe Torre is a legend in New York and simply can not be replaced.
The key to managing a group of world class athletes, is to find someone that can bring a sense of stability and composure to the diamond. Furthermore, playing in the most demanding market in the world requires a manager who can face the media on a daily basis, answering questions in a dignified and direct manner. Curiously, that sounds very much like the man who just left the team.
