Jeter Fired Up Over Torre
Jeter Fired Up Over Torre
Captain Speaks Out In Manager's Defense
April 30, 2007
By DOM AMORE, Courant Staff Writer NEW YORK --
Derek Jeter rarely shows emotion, rarely lets on when he is angry. But Sunday, he raised his voice for Joe Torre.
"It's not fair," the Yankees captain said in reference to questions about Torre's job security. "He doesn't play, that's the bottom line. He puts the best team out there on the field and gives us an opportunity to win. We haven't gotten the job done. His job is something that shouldn't ever be talked about."
Jeter was asked if this was intended as a message to owner George Steinbrenner.
"I was just responding to the person who asked the question," he said. But if asked by anyone in the Yankees' hierarchy, "I would say the same thing," Jeter said.
Except for a handful of games for Buck Showalter in 1995, Jeter has played his entire career under Torre, whose 11-plus years are the longest anyone has lasted as manager of the Yankees since Casey Stengel's tenure of 1949-60.
Talk of Torre's job being in jeopardy began in earnest Friday night after the Yankees' 11-4 loss to the Red Sox, their seventh loss in a row and fourth in a row to the Red Sox. Torre aired out the team after the game, and the Yankees responded with a 3-1 victory Saturday, easing the tension. There was confidence Sunday that the Yankees, with their No.1 pitcher, Chien-Ming Wang, going against the Red Sox's No. 5, Julian Tavarez, could win, take two of three in the series and get to a manageable 41/2 games behind.
But the Yankees lost 7-4 to fall to 9-14 and 61/2 games back.
"I take full responsibility for this start," general manager Brian Cashman said. "I put this team together. If you're going to blame anyone, I say blame me."
Torre moved about his office and the clubhouse, preparing for the upcoming trip to Texas, without showing any sign of concern about being fired. "I can't control that," he said. "I just do what I can do."
Players talked as if there were a real fear of something happening.
"We all came here because Joe Torre was the manager," Jason Giambi said. "This has nothing to do with him. He can't do anything about injuries. It's not something we talk about because nobody thinks it's anything valid."
Said Alex Rodriguez: "It's frustrating that it's an issue."
Torre, 66, has managed the Yankees since 1996, guiding them into the playoffs each year, including 2005, when they started 11-19 and finished 95-67. His teams won the World Series four of his first five years, but they have lost in the playoffs each of the last six years. He was nearly fired last October. At that time, Steinbrenner put out a statement saying he expected a team that has "fighting spirit and worked together." That was perceived as a warning that Torre would be in trouble if the Yankees got off to a bad start.
Organization insiders were of divided opinions Sunday. Some suggest Steinbrenner, 76, is alert, angry and considering a move; others believe Steinbrenner's age and health are such that he is no longer making such decisions. The ownership is in turmoil, with general partner Steve Swindal getting divorced from Steinbrenner's daughter, Jennifer, so it's unclear who would go to bat for Torre and have the power to save him if the Boss insisted he go.
Steinbrenner's spokesman, Howard Rubenstein, said after the game that the Boss had no comment. Rubenstein said he had just spoken to Steinbrenner.
Contact Dom Amore at
damore@courant.com.
courant.com is Copyright © 2007 by The Hartford Courant
Captain Speaks Out In Manager's Defense
April 30, 2007
By DOM AMORE, Courant Staff Writer NEW YORK --
Derek Jeter rarely shows emotion, rarely lets on when he is angry. But Sunday, he raised his voice for Joe Torre.
"It's not fair," the Yankees captain said in reference to questions about Torre's job security. "He doesn't play, that's the bottom line. He puts the best team out there on the field and gives us an opportunity to win. We haven't gotten the job done. His job is something that shouldn't ever be talked about."
Jeter was asked if this was intended as a message to owner George Steinbrenner.
"I was just responding to the person who asked the question," he said. But if asked by anyone in the Yankees' hierarchy, "I would say the same thing," Jeter said.
Except for a handful of games for Buck Showalter in 1995, Jeter has played his entire career under Torre, whose 11-plus years are the longest anyone has lasted as manager of the Yankees since Casey Stengel's tenure of 1949-60.
Talk of Torre's job being in jeopardy began in earnest Friday night after the Yankees' 11-4 loss to the Red Sox, their seventh loss in a row and fourth in a row to the Red Sox. Torre aired out the team after the game, and the Yankees responded with a 3-1 victory Saturday, easing the tension. There was confidence Sunday that the Yankees, with their No.1 pitcher, Chien-Ming Wang, going against the Red Sox's No. 5, Julian Tavarez, could win, take two of three in the series and get to a manageable 41/2 games behind.
But the Yankees lost 7-4 to fall to 9-14 and 61/2 games back.
"I take full responsibility for this start," general manager Brian Cashman said. "I put this team together. If you're going to blame anyone, I say blame me."
Torre moved about his office and the clubhouse, preparing for the upcoming trip to Texas, without showing any sign of concern about being fired. "I can't control that," he said. "I just do what I can do."
Players talked as if there were a real fear of something happening.
"We all came here because Joe Torre was the manager," Jason Giambi said. "This has nothing to do with him. He can't do anything about injuries. It's not something we talk about because nobody thinks it's anything valid."
Said Alex Rodriguez: "It's frustrating that it's an issue."
Torre, 66, has managed the Yankees since 1996, guiding them into the playoffs each year, including 2005, when they started 11-19 and finished 95-67. His teams won the World Series four of his first five years, but they have lost in the playoffs each of the last six years. He was nearly fired last October. At that time, Steinbrenner put out a statement saying he expected a team that has "fighting spirit and worked together." That was perceived as a warning that Torre would be in trouble if the Yankees got off to a bad start.
Organization insiders were of divided opinions Sunday. Some suggest Steinbrenner, 76, is alert, angry and considering a move; others believe Steinbrenner's age and health are such that he is no longer making such decisions. The ownership is in turmoil, with general partner Steve Swindal getting divorced from Steinbrenner's daughter, Jennifer, so it's unclear who would go to bat for Torre and have the power to save him if the Boss insisted he go.
Steinbrenner's spokesman, Howard Rubenstein, said after the game that the Boss had no comment. Rubenstein said he had just spoken to Steinbrenner.
Contact Dom Amore at
damore@courant.com.
courant.com is Copyright © 2007 by The Hartford Courant
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