Turn Back The Clock: October 19th, 2007-Yankees Force Joe Torre’s Hand

With the New York Yankees being one of the most celebrated franchises in professional sports history, they sure don’t know how to properly handle elite personnel, whether it be players or managers. We are all well aware of how Casey Stengel was summarily dismissed after the 1960 World Series, culminating with the greatest run in franchise history: 5 straight World Series titles, 10 pennants, etc. 

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We also know how George Steinbrenner liked to needle Billy Martin to the point of insanity. It just so happened, that one of our choices for our Turn Back The Clock series could’ve been centered around Martin, and how he was hired for the fifth and final time as the Yankees’ skipper on this day back in 1987. He only lasted until July 23rd, when he was shown the door yet again. It is believed that had Martin not died in an auto accident on Christmas Day, 1989, he was coming back for a sixth stint as the team’s field manager.

No, today, we examine the Yankees’ handling of arguably one of their most low-key, non-controversial team members of all-time. When he was hired, the New York media tabbed him “Clueless Joe” for not knowing what he was getting himself into coming to work for the Boss. After all, Joe Torre had never won anywhere as either a player or a manager in three previous stops in New York with the Mets, Atlanta with the Braves, and St. Louis with the Cardinals. Torre was replacing the popular, but taskmaster, iron fisted Buck Showalter, who along with GM Gene Michael, had brought the Bronx Bombers back from oblivion.

For Torre, the Yankees managerial job became the stuff of legend. The winning of the 1996 World Series secured his job, until Mariano Rivera gave up a series-winning home run to Sandy Alomar, Jr. the following October, and the heat was on. While Torre’s Yankees launched a dynasty by going 125-50 in 1998, it was championship or bust in the Boss’ eyes. Over the next 9 seasons, there would only be two more titles, four more pennants, and arguably the greatest postseason collapse in baseball history, with the Yankees blowing a three games-to-none lead to the hated Boston Red Sox. The Curse of the Bambino ended, the Sox started a virtual dynasty of their own, and by 2007, the handwriting was on the wall.

A controversial benching of Alex Rodriguez during the Yankees’ 2006 playoff loss to the Detroit Tigers, personalities and egos, unfounded accusations of racism from players such as Gary Sheffield and Kenny Lofton, and the head in the sand approach about steroid and PED use by players such as Jason Giambi, the aforementioned Sheffield, Roger Clemens, and God only knows who else, and the pressure cooker that was Joe Torre’s job was coming to a head.

When the Yankees blew the 2007 ALDS to the Cleveland Indians, and Torre came under fire for allowing his team to remain on the field as a bug infestation affected not only reliever Joba Chamberlain, the the rhythm of his team, and allowed the Tribe to end the Bombers’ season yet again without a World Series appearance, the whispers became screams.

Within days of the Yankees’ elimination at the hands of Cleveland, ESPN reported that Joe Torre had been fired, and Lou Piniella had been hired to replace him. The rumors were unconfirmed and unfounded. Torre was beloved by Yankees fans, and being a native New Yorker, was considered one of their own. The Yankees upper management, decided rather than flat out fire Torre, they would make a contract offer HE HAD TO REFUSE.

After 10 AL East titles, 12 straight playoff appearances, 6 AL pennants, and 4 World Series titles, the Yankees were done with Joe Torre. They made an embarrassing contract offer. The Yankees were taking money out of Torre’s pocket, offering a one-year deal, that was non-negotiable, for $5 million dollars. There was a $1 million dollar incentive kicker for each round of the postseason that Torre’s Yankees advanced to. If the Yankees reached the World Series in 2008, Torre’s contract for 2009 would automatically kick in and he would get a raise to $8 million dollars.

Knowing that this was a no-win situation, and that the Yankees’ roster was nowhere near a World Series caliber-contender, on this day in 2007, Joe Torre rejected the contract offer, and walked away from the Yankees, having been the most successful skipper in the franchise’s history since Casey Stengel. Torre would go on to take over for, ironically, Grady Little in Los Angeles with the Dodgers, where he would lead the Boys in Blue to back-to-back NLCS appearances.

Two of Torre’s coaches, Don Mattingly and Joe Girardi, both interviewed for the vacant Yankees’ managerial opening, with Girardi getting hired. Mattingly would then join Torre out in L.A. and serve as his bench coach until Torre retired, and Mattingly was named his replacement. Girardi and the Yankees missed the postseason in his first year on the job in 2008, but after a mega spending spree, returned to the Fall Classic in 2009, and defeated the defending World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies in six games, for the franchise’s 27th and most recent title.