Jeter comes out strong for Torre
Jeter comes out strong for Torre
April 30, 2007
New York
Once again, Yankees fans were silenced in their own stadium, allowing a building roar from the invading Red Sox fans to take over the place the way the Sox have threatened to take over the American League East.
Surely, many of you will find your voice again today, hitting the airwaves with angst and vigor and once more screaming for Joe Torre's head, demanding the manager pay for this unsightly start to the season with his job.
You will crow about the same serenity that once represented his success, labeling it as indifference.
You will beg for a manager with a kick-in-the-butt temperament, having never once seen for yourselves the glare Torre can offer when he is displeased, or having never heard the terse speech he gave his team the other night.
That is your right.
You can dismiss the qualities that have helped earn 11 straight playoff appearances, four World Series rings and have steadied the Yankees through so many crises like these so effectively that we often forget they had them.
But now comes the time you must make an admission to yourself you won't necessarily want to make.
If you're railing against Torre's steady presence, you should have a problem with someone else on this team.
Derek Jeter.
Because all the even-keeled qualities that Torre possesses, that allow him to keep his head while millions around him lose theirs, are the same traits that make Jeter so great.
If you think Torre is too laid back or unemotional, you'd better say the same thing about Jeter, whose ability to stay on a straight line is exactly what makes him the game's best clutch player.
Which is why it was nice to see the Yankees captain finally offer more than a cursory response when asked yet again about Torre's job security.
It was nice to see Jeter — intentionally or not — deliver a message not only to the reporters asking questions but the fans and anyone in the Yankees organization who thinks their mounting problems can be solved with a shift in the manager's office.
"It's not fair," Jeter said. "There's no way he's responsible for this. He's not hitting for us. He's not fielding for us. He's done a great job. It's unfair. It shouldn't be questioned. He is in no way responsible for us not performing.
"It should stop."
Jeter was as animated as he gets, still cool, but irritated by the mere thought of replacing the manager.
He was asked if he meant to address anyone in the organization with those statements and said he was simply answering reporters' questions.
But when asked if he would repeat those thoughts if he was asked by someone with the club, Jeter immediately snapped "yep."
"Same answer," he said. "I would say the exact same thing."
This is the strongest voice the Yankees have in their clubhouse and hearing such a passionate speech from the captain could even resonate all the way to the top, back in Tampa.
George Steinbrenner knows Jeter wants to win as much as he does and has to respect the man's opinion, even if he doesn't agree with it.
That doesn't mean Jeter's words will keep Torre safe, but they can't hurt.
Regardless of Jeter's words, his actions provide one more reason why all the people screaming for more fire are missing the point.
He has thrived under the biggest pressure spots for the same reason Torre has — he knows how to stay calm and confident.
Leadership doesn't come from some kind of show for the fans or media. Plenty of managers worried about their jobs make sure they show their fire for the cameras, losing players' respect in the process.
Torre is stronger than all of them because he takes care of his business behind closed doors and takes all the heat he must, regardless of the situation.
Which is why he again may have seemed to lack passion yesterday when he said "if that happens, it happens" when asked about being fired.
That is no different than Jeter once starting a season 0-for-32 and saying with a shrug, "I'm going to get a hit."
So Torre's made a few more mistakes this season than in years past. But when he says he's going to keep doing what he does, that's no different than Jeter's M.O.
And ask yourself who would do a better job right now? Who could handle the circus of New York while barely having any starting pitchers, no less?
As Brian Cashman has repeated several times the past two days, if you want to blame anyone, put it on the general manager.
Of course, you can still put it on the manager if you want.
But if you want to be consistent about what you don't like in Torre, you should be screaming about Jeter next.
Dave Buscema's column appears regularly. Contact him at buscema@hotmail.com.
Record Online is brought to you by the Times Herald-Record, serving New York"s Hudson Valley and the Catskills. Phone: (845) 341-1100
April 30, 2007
New York
Once again, Yankees fans were silenced in their own stadium, allowing a building roar from the invading Red Sox fans to take over the place the way the Sox have threatened to take over the American League East.
Surely, many of you will find your voice again today, hitting the airwaves with angst and vigor and once more screaming for Joe Torre's head, demanding the manager pay for this unsightly start to the season with his job.
You will crow about the same serenity that once represented his success, labeling it as indifference.
You will beg for a manager with a kick-in-the-butt temperament, having never once seen for yourselves the glare Torre can offer when he is displeased, or having never heard the terse speech he gave his team the other night.
That is your right.
You can dismiss the qualities that have helped earn 11 straight playoff appearances, four World Series rings and have steadied the Yankees through so many crises like these so effectively that we often forget they had them.
But now comes the time you must make an admission to yourself you won't necessarily want to make.
If you're railing against Torre's steady presence, you should have a problem with someone else on this team.
Derek Jeter.
Because all the even-keeled qualities that Torre possesses, that allow him to keep his head while millions around him lose theirs, are the same traits that make Jeter so great.
If you think Torre is too laid back or unemotional, you'd better say the same thing about Jeter, whose ability to stay on a straight line is exactly what makes him the game's best clutch player.
Which is why it was nice to see the Yankees captain finally offer more than a cursory response when asked yet again about Torre's job security.
It was nice to see Jeter — intentionally or not — deliver a message not only to the reporters asking questions but the fans and anyone in the Yankees organization who thinks their mounting problems can be solved with a shift in the manager's office.
"It's not fair," Jeter said. "There's no way he's responsible for this. He's not hitting for us. He's not fielding for us. He's done a great job. It's unfair. It shouldn't be questioned. He is in no way responsible for us not performing.
"It should stop."
Jeter was as animated as he gets, still cool, but irritated by the mere thought of replacing the manager.
He was asked if he meant to address anyone in the organization with those statements and said he was simply answering reporters' questions.
But when asked if he would repeat those thoughts if he was asked by someone with the club, Jeter immediately snapped "yep."
"Same answer," he said. "I would say the exact same thing."
This is the strongest voice the Yankees have in their clubhouse and hearing such a passionate speech from the captain could even resonate all the way to the top, back in Tampa.
George Steinbrenner knows Jeter wants to win as much as he does and has to respect the man's opinion, even if he doesn't agree with it.
That doesn't mean Jeter's words will keep Torre safe, but they can't hurt.
Regardless of Jeter's words, his actions provide one more reason why all the people screaming for more fire are missing the point.
He has thrived under the biggest pressure spots for the same reason Torre has — he knows how to stay calm and confident.
Leadership doesn't come from some kind of show for the fans or media. Plenty of managers worried about their jobs make sure they show their fire for the cameras, losing players' respect in the process.
Torre is stronger than all of them because he takes care of his business behind closed doors and takes all the heat he must, regardless of the situation.
Which is why he again may have seemed to lack passion yesterday when he said "if that happens, it happens" when asked about being fired.
That is no different than Jeter once starting a season 0-for-32 and saying with a shrug, "I'm going to get a hit."
So Torre's made a few more mistakes this season than in years past. But when he says he's going to keep doing what he does, that's no different than Jeter's M.O.
And ask yourself who would do a better job right now? Who could handle the circus of New York while barely having any starting pitchers, no less?
As Brian Cashman has repeated several times the past two days, if you want to blame anyone, put it on the general manager.
Of course, you can still put it on the manager if you want.
But if you want to be consistent about what you don't like in Torre, you should be screaming about Jeter next.
Dave Buscema's column appears regularly. Contact him at buscema@hotmail.com.
Record Online is brought to you by the Times Herald-Record, serving New York"s Hudson Valley and the Catskills. Phone: (845) 341-1100
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