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There has been an obvious weakness in ptiching over the last several seasons that was not taken care of. Maybe George should look at his front office instead of on the field for scapegoats. Joe has done a fine job managing the personnel given to him.

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Just when I was begining to think that George was becoming a gentlemen, he does this which is classless and in line with his past performances. He should have kept quiet until after the playoffs then made up his mind what he wanted to do.

If I were Torre, I would simply resign and tell George that when and if he ever gets any class to go with his money he would consider managing again...for a lot more money.

I am not saying that Torre should be retained or dismissed, I am simply saying that this was not the time to do it and it should not have been done in the press. Oh well, he is a New Yorker.......

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Joe Torre is a hero to many, many baseball fans. One does not have to be a NY Yankee fan to realize what an outstanding coach Joe Torre has always been and still is great. Sorry I can't say the same for Mr. Steinbrenners. Everyone knows Steinbrenner has tried for years to be a back seat coach but he does not have the intelligence or the ability to coach a baseball team. Mr. Steinbrenner, stay up in your office with the door SHUT...and leave Joe Torre alone. I am a 68 y/o female and I am a true Atlanta Braves fan and I know baseball better than you, Mr. Steinbrenner. I know what it takes to be an outstanding coach that cares for his players and always treats them with respect. Joe Torre is a dedicated coach and has been for years. So Mr. Steinbrenner, SHUT-UP and go do whatever you do besides run your mouth and cut down people. Let me suggest this*** if the Yankee's by chance do lose the ALDS, then you sell the team and get out as the owner. Sell them to someone with a decent and kind heart. You sure don't fit that description.
C.D.Hughes

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As a 1965 graduate of the same school George S. graduated from, I am ashamed of my almameters product -- he roomed with Eric Sandheim, and two other men in a quad in the St. Anthony fraternity -- you would think some of the class would have rubbed off -- at least the Williams College Ephs can hold there head high -- what a jerk

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Wait, are you seriously claiming that getting the Yankees to the playoffs is a major accomplishment? You seriously don't know why it's expected that they make the playoffs every single year? Yes, we all know how much more money they spend than any other team. But let's put it into even better perspective. This site lists salaries for all players/teams:

http://asp.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/salaries/default.aspx

According to their figures, we learn these fun facts about the Yankee payroll.

1) The Yankees spend more than the Indians. More than the NLCS participant Rockies. More than the NLCS participant Diamondbacks. More than all three of them - COMBINED! That's the last two standing in the NL - one of which is guaranteed to be in the World Series, mind you - and the team they currently trail in the playoffs. Add them all together, and they still don't equal the Yankees.

2) Actually, this is 1a. If you add up the salaries of the Indians, Rockies, and D-backs, the Yankess still outspend them by a staggering 21.47 million. How much is that? More than all but three players in baseball make - Giambi, A-Rod, and Jeter (barely). Which means you could get the combined rosters of those three playoff teams, plus any other player in baseball, and you'd still be under or barely over the Yankees. Or another way, these three playoff teams are roughly equal to the Yankees minus A-Rod. How laughable is that? Just try to imagine the Yankees minus Rodriguez this year - how much do they miss the playoffs by? Ten games? Fifteen? Twenty?

2) (for real) If you want to compare to some other big spenders, the Yankees spent as much as the Cubs and Phillies combined. Both of those clubs are losers, no doubt, but they were both playoff teams.

3) If you cut the Yankees payroll in half, it would be the 9th-highest in the majors.

4) Unrelated to the Yankees - the Royals have no excuse. They pay more than the Indians, Rockies, and D-backs. Just noticed that. Time to sack up and quit whining about being a small market, Kansas City. You just need to be better.

5) The Yankees spend about 46 million more than the #2 team (Boston). That's slightly more than A-Rod and Jeter, or slightly less than the D-Backs, or about twice the Devil Rays. Yes, the Yankees have three guys who individually make almost as much as an entire team.

OK, that should cover it. Enough fun Yankee salary facts for now. The question is, what can we learn from this?

1) The Yankees absolutely should expect to make the playoffs every year. They have absolutely no excuse for not making the playoffs. They have no excuse for it to ever be in doubt. With that kind of budget, they should be able to withstand a few injuries - say, the entire outfield coming down with the plague, and half the bench getting leprosy - and still finish 10 games ahead of nearly everyone. No excuses. Not one. Ever.

2) The Yankees have to be incredibly mismanaged. How can you have that kind of financial advantage and not be dominant? What kind of team could Mark Shapiro put together with that budget? Or Billy Beane? Or John Schuerholz? Heck, what kind of team could the average schmoe put together? I generally laugh at the idea that "anyone could win with that team" or the like. But this is actually a case where the average fan, given that payroll to play with, could build a perennial playoff team. That it was even in doubt for much of the year is a testament to how terribly incompetent the management has been.

So please forgive me if I don't join in the crying for Torre. Poor Joe Torre has to produce results with everything he's been given. Awwwww. Making the playoffs every year isn't good enough to satisfy everyone. Awwwwww. Why won't you leave Torre alone - he somehow scraped and clawed and got this scrappy band of underachievers into the playoffs! What an accomplishment! What a joke. They need to make the playoffs every year. They should do well in the playoffs every year. If not, Torre and especially Cashman need to feel the heat, if not get canned.

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I'm from Boston and a Red Sox fan but I do like Joe Torre. Without him the Yanks wouldn't be the Yanks. Joe is a class act and he should tell Fat Georgie to blow it ous his nose.

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Joe Torre is not only a great manager, but a great person. He is a true gentlemen in not answering George Steinbrenners so called ultimatum. I believe that this is not the time to discuss the future, but the time to reflect on winning

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I wish Joe Torres would get fired just so the red sox can fire their louzy manager and pick up joe. anybody agree?

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Brian Cashman should be the one to go, not Joe Torre..

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hey everyone..this threat to fire torre happens whenever there is a struggle during a season..the yankees love torre and are a great team under pressure..this is to light a fire under the yankees ass..torre isnt going anywhere...

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I hope he fires Torre and Bobby Cox retires this year so Torrae can come back to the Braves where he can be truly appreciated

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So let's get this straight. The team is terrible the first half of the year and that's not Torre's fault. He team does nothing in playoffs and that's not his fault. He does nothing during the game except sit, sip and watch, no bunts, no sacrifices, no moving the runners, and that's not his fault. Torre is Peter Sellers in "Being There." He is a below 500 manager who was handed great players, his first WS, the HOF, and 7 million a year by George and it's not Torre's fault. Torre is an absolutely clueless manager who will go to the HOF thanks to George Steinbrenner.

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Torre is a good manager and he should go on his own terms but don't crucify Steinbrenner. Losing isn't fun for anyone especially George. What is fun is mixing it up like he used to with Billy Martin. I wish Joe Torre would fire back just so George could have fun with a media battle. He is paying enough let him enjoy himself with his investment. By the Way trogdor the guy who has probably gotten the Yanks the most money (in terms of tee-shirts, ads, etc) is Joba Chamberlain (seen those "Joba Rules" shirts?) Chamberlain makes less than a million dollars a year and the Yankees are cutting their payroll not adding. Know what you are talking about when you speak please.

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joe torre has been living on his past laurels. when he first started to manage the yankees he was successful because he played a national league style of aggressive baseball not the lay back american league style of baseball. look at how he managed game third. he was lucky to win. after the rocket was shown that he did not have his stuff, did he have ready anyone in the bullpen other than a youthful untried pitcher. anyother manager would have had his whole pitching staff ready to come in. joe it is a five game series, lose three and your out. there is no tomorrow. it is something that he had forgotten. where was his managing acumen. he has other veterans on the staff and should have been ready to put them in. what was he saving them for? had he lost the third game it would have been all over. perhaps he was playing the game as a poker game and was calling george's bluff. if i was george, no matter what the outcome of the playoff will be, it is time for a change. what the yankees needs is a manager who sees beyond personal egos. let's get back lou from the cubs. that is the type of manager the yankees need. if joe is back nexts year it will be the same old story. george can well afford to fire him. it will be a nice going away present for joe. his being around nexts year will be deja vous all over again.

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Anyone from New York remember the headlines when Torre was hired? One of them was "Clueless Joe." I'm not saying Torre hasn't been a good manager but he was nobody before coming to New York with all those Hall of Famers.

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Steinbrenner is the reason I don't like the Yankees. Bonds is the reason I don't like the Giants. Both are the reason I don't follow baseball much. Look for Bonds in N.Y. next season and Yankee fans embracing him with love..

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Hopefully if the Yankees should win it all and when the clubhouse presentation is made of the WS trophy; Joe hands it to George and tells him to put it somewhere. Of course being the class act that Joe is; he would never do that. I've lost all respect for steinbrenner.

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George is an ego maniac. Joe has done an very good job with the personel he has had to work with.George should sit in his office and let the manager run the ball club.and keep his big fat mouth shut.

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Who really gives a rats ass about baseball!

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IT'S THIRTY YEARS LATER THAN "THE BRONX IS BURNING", AND ONCE MORE GEORGIE PORGIE IS AT IT AGAIN. BUT NOW IT'S MORE THAN EVIDENT THAT HE'S A SENILE OLD MAN, IF HE'S BLAMING EVERYTHING ON JOE TORRE!!!

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