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Sympathy for Joe Torre
The traditional halfway point of the baseball season is about two weeks away and anyone who knows me knows that somehow or other I get my daily dose of baseball. So far this season I have enjoyed watching the YES Network coverage of Yankees baseball. Even I am starting to feel sorry for Joe Torre, who has to answer the same questions night after night with microphones just inches from his face.
Joe looks like the unhappiest manager in baseball. Managing a baseball team, any baseball team, but especially the Yankees, is supposed to be fun. I like to see a manager smiling and having a good time. You get that sometimes from Ozzie Guillen of the Chicago White Sox or Lou Piniella of the Cubs, although Lou hasn't had much to smile about either this year. Ozzie and Lou are all business, up on the steps of the dugout, but they are not beyond cracking a joke with coaches or players. They seem to enjoy managing.
But Joe Torre has this look on his face like a guy trapped in a house of mirrors. How do I get out of here, he seems to be thinking. Joe's a great manager, many will say, but even John McGraw and Walter Alston wouldn't be able to make Scott Proctor throw strikes. Or make Kyle Farnsworth stop throwing home run pitches. Or Bobby Abreu stroke a single to right field with the bases loaded.
The Yankees corps of broadcasters from Michael Kay and Ken Singleton, a class guy, and John Flaherty and Bobby Murcer and Paul O'Neil and John Sterling and Susan Waldman have spent hours trying to explain why the Yankees keep losing. And whatever happened to Al Leiter? Since he said that Mike Mussina was in the "twilight of his career" we haven't seen much of Al.
I don't think there is any mystery about the Yankees' lackluster first half. I think it boils down to two simple explanations:
Reason # One. The Yankees got old. Jason Giambi gets injured. He was in his early Thirties and admittedly on steroids when he was launching 40 home runs a season. He's 36 and on the disabled list. Bobby Abreu hit in the .300s when he was in his late Twenties. His last .300 season was 2004. It's now 2007 and Abreu is 33 years old. Mike Mussina is 38 years old, and his ERA has been consistently in the fours. His last solid season was 2004. They've got 38-year-old Mike Myers coming out of the bullpen to pitch to one batter and he's allowed 36 baserunners in 30 innings. And they've added Ron Villone, who is only 37.
And then their savior, Roger Clemens, the million-dollar-a-start guy, comes along and goes 1-2 in his first three starts with a 5.09 ERA. He's 44 years old! And will be 45 before the end of the season.
Reason #2: The Yankees superstars are simply not as good as they think they are. Jeter is having another MVP season. I felt he should have been the MVP last year. But even check out A-Rod's stats and you'll see that there is no one better at hitting pitcher's mistakes than Alex Rodriguez. And who makes the most mistakes? Young, inexperienced, career-minor-league pitchers. Check out the list of no-names that A-Rod has used to fatten up his stats.
He's hammered homers off guys like Juan Salas, Tom Mastny, Scott "Can I Pitch Any Worse?" Schoenweiss and Ambiorix Burgos! Don't get me wrong. A-Rod can hit, but compare his stats against pitchers with winning records and pitchers with losing records!
Anyway, maybe the Yankees will win the World Series. If the St. Louis Cardinals can bring back reliever Troy Percival from the dead, then maybe the Yankees have Luis Arroyo and Goose Gossage up their sleeve.
I'd still like to see the Yankees win the American League pennant (can you believe I said that?) so that they can face my Dodgers in a good old-fashioned World Series!
Maybe that would bring a smile to Joe Torre's unhappy face.
Comments
Hey Foxy:
It was great seeing you last week. Today is the start of our regular season in the United South Football League (USFL). Kick Off is at 7:00pm, I'll keep you posted! Do you know the date that our interview will run? My In-Laws would like to know. Take Care, Hal
(Foxy's note: Hal Ross, former head coach of the Plattsburgh North Stars semi-pro football team in the Empire Football League, was back in town last weekend. We found time for a "Fox on the Run" interview. Hal left the area in 1996.)
Posted by: Hal | June 30, 2007 8:56 AM
Well Foxy. It seems to be the same OLD Red Sox fans gloating in late June again. Unfortunately for us Yankee fans things aren't looking too good right now. As fans we must stay true to our team and everyone around them. I feel Joe's pain.
Crusher
Posted by: Crusher | June 28, 2007 4:47 PM
I'm not buying it either. This smells of a famous 8th grade teaching method to get students riled up so they would respond with thoughtful ideas. Joe Torre is an excellent manager, but he has been given high priced talent that no other manager can even dream of overseeing. It is not short term issues that are at fault here. The "Steinnbrenner Doctrine" is win now. It has caught up with them. While Cashman has attempted to develop their farm system, they consistently resort to desperate moves. Since 2000 (their last WS Championship) they have focused on established high priced stars. That's not what got them their sucess in the late nineties.
Feel sorry for Torre or Cashman?......HECK NO! They have resources that no other professional sports team has. And for all of us Charter Cable subscribers, we are contributing to those resources...and we don't have a choice.
I guess I fell for that great teaching technique hook, line and sinker!
(Foxy's note: Yes, John, you bit! But thanks for the great comments!)
Posted by: john | June 28, 2007 2:20 PM
Foxy: I have been a life long Yankee Fan! As a youngster after playing baseball with the gang at St Peters field! We would buy a 5cent Package of Kool-Aid diluted it with enough water so all the guys could have a cup of Kool-Aid. We turned on a transister radio and listened to Mel Allen the voice of the Yankees on WEAV! I always will remember Mel calling a Yankee home "that ball is deep its going going and its gone another Ballantine Blast!" by the Bronx Bombers! Great Memories when Life was so different from today! Imagine asking kids today to play ball with one bat and one ball and share baseball gloves and hit to one field only! We didn't have computers and play stations and our life revolved around friends and neighbors! Go Yankees! Go Yankees! Lenny
Posted by: Lenny Smallacombe | June 28, 2007 11:08 AM
I have a problem. Actually two. First, I think I just read that Foxy Gagnon, the epitome of a Dodger’s fan, and, now, a formally perceived Yankee disliker (I think hater is too strong as Foxy just loves baseball so much), wants the Yankees to win the AL pennant! I sense sarcasm here. Since the Yanks are 11 games out of first in the Division and 8 out of the wild card, it would take nothing short of a miracle for them even to get the wild card berth! I am a big Yankee fan as well, and I am, much like Joe Torre, am not getting too many warm-fuzzy feelings about my team. Good one, Foxy. But I am not buying into it!
Which leads me to my second problem. Since I am a proclaimed Yankee fan, I have found myself being brutally chastised about being a New England Patriot’s fan. People constantly ask how I can like “that New York team” and like a New England team. People have accused me of “crossing the line”, being schizophrenic, not knowing my loyalties, or just cheering for winning teams. They are all wrong. I have been a sports fan all my life. I remember sitting with my grandfather listening to Yankee games on the radio and watching them for the first time when the local cable company picked up WPIX, at that time the “Official Network of Yankees baseball.” But I also used to follow a lot of Boston sports, with my dad being a native New-Englander and loving all the Boston teams, especially the Pats, Celtics and Bruins. It was the world I grew up in that brought about such modern dilemmas in my life. I have followed the Patriots most of my life. I have rejoiced in the glory of three Super Bowls in four years, but I also have wallowed in remembering losing seasons, including the 3-win/13-loss years. Does this make me such a terrible person? Can’t a New York State resident cheer for a New York baseball team and a New England football team? Am I truly such a threat to the Red Sox Nation that I should be the brunt of relentless ridicule and banishment? As a Yankee fan, the season is over. Four weeks to the opening of Patriot’s training camp!
(Foxy's note: Well-said, Kern! Thanks!)
Posted by: Kern | June 28, 2007 9:53 AM
Fox, I was shocked but I'm glad that Rick K. adjusted your attitude.
About Joe Torre- he seems to be a knowledgable and affable character and difficult not to like. Unfortunately, he is surrounded by nearly washed up , egotistical millionaires who care more about their paychecks than of playing hard. He is governed by a spoiled investment mogul, George Steinbrenner, who expects a huge turnover from his record breaking investment.
I realize that NY fans are wanting to immigrate to the Red Sox Nation; however, The nation is reluctant to accept them as Boston fans because they have not suffered long and hard enough as the loyal Sox fans have. So, as the US Congress ponders the faith of our national immigration laws, so will the Red Sox nation. Sorry Bruce, you can't be the exception.
Sympathy for Joe Torre and his band of Yankees, I probably have more sympathy for Paris Hilton.
Posted by: skip zatonsk | June 28, 2007 9:14 AM
I remember when the Yanks hired Torre, all of us down here were laughing. People forget that the guy was ran out of St. Louis. He was fired around mid-season if I'm not mistaken. But now most people think he is pretty good around here now. I agree with you though, you can't help but feel sorry for him. It's not his fault that he has absolutely ZERO pitching. I don't care what level of baseball it is, that is where it all starts. You can have a field full of All-Stars, but if you can't get anybody out it really doesn't matter. Good pitching always beats good hitting, that's the way it will always be.
Posted by: Aaron | June 27, 2007 11:09 PM
Hi Foxy,
What can I say. Large doses of Xanax get me through the Yankee's games these days.
My soul longs for the Yanks of old. In the 50s, I could have managed the Yankees. They were THAT good!
Alas .... the world is off its orbit.
And, no comment from you - please! I'm wounded enough!
Lynda
Posted by: Lynda (Bouyea) Bevins | June 27, 2007 9:27 PM
Foxy, have you ever noticed that Torre's expresion doesn't look any happier when the Yankees are ahead? I will like to see him smiling and having a good old time every once in a while.
Posted by: Maria | June 27, 2007 1:23 PM
Foxy, you have been drinking too much of your brother's kool-aid. Go to Bobby's and have a pepper steak to get it out of your system.
When the Fox says "I'd still like to see the Yankees win the American League pennant " It's a clear indicator that hell has now frozen over.
PS: Leiter has been sent back to Tampa to work out in hopes of rejoining the rotation if Ed Figueroa and Mike Torrez dont work out.
(Foxy's note: Thanks, Rick, for slapping me back to reality! On second thought, a Red Sox-Dodgers World Series would be even better!)
Posted by: Rick K | June 27, 2007 11:18 AM