Yankees' offer insulted Torre

Yankees’ offer insulted Torre

By Dom Amore

Oct. 20, 2007 12 AM PT

Hartford Courant

RYE BROOK, N.Y. -- The final scene of Joe Torre’s long run as manager of the New York Yankees manager played out Friday, not at Yankee Stadium, where he may not be seen again for some time, but in a hotel ballroom.

Fitting or no, Torre entered the venue and exited on the high road, refraining from any lashing out in his first day as an ex-Yankee, but explaining his decision not to accept the team’s take-it-or-leave-it offer to return for a 13th season. He found the terms, a one-year contract with incentives based on how far the Yankees advanced in the postseason, objectionable and insulting.

“I expressed my dissatisfaction with the length of the contract,” Torre said, describing his 20-minute meeting with the Yankees’ hierarchy Thursday in Tampa, Fla.

When Torre tried to offer alternatives, such as a two-year contract, it was “quickly dismissed,” he said. “They said, basically, that they had a business to run and this was the way they wanted to do it.”

With that, Torre knew his time with the Yankees was done. He reached first for George Steinbrenner’s hand and shook it, thanking him for the opportunity with the Yankees. Then Torre said goodbye to Steinbrenner’s sons, Hal and Hank, and team President Randy Levine, and flew back home.

“I was hoping there would be a negotiation, but there wasn’t,” Torre said. “If somebody wanted me to manage this team I would be managing. . . . The fact that someone is reducing your salary is telling me, basically, that they’re not satisfied with the job you’re doing.”

Later Friday, Torre told WFAN that he would have been happier if the Yankees simply fired him, rather than make the offer they did. “It would have been more honest,” he said.

Torre, 67, who spoke for more than an hour, made it clear he believed the Yankees’ offer and their machinations leading up to it were designed to drive him away, and George Steinbrenner’s reported parting words, “You’ll always be a Yankee,” did not salve any wounds.

Torre will not return to Yankee Stadium to clear out his office, he said, leaving that task to an assistant.

“I walked out of there, I’m not going back,” he said. “I just leave the memories.”

He left the door open to managing again, and acknowledged that he would not earn what he was making with the Yankees.

“I’m free to listen right now,” he said. “The energy level is still there and the fact that players still listen and respect what you say.”

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Joe Torre file

What Joe Torre has accom- plished as manager of the New York Yankees the last 12 seasons:

*--* 12 Appearances in postseason 6 Appearances in the World Series 4 World Series titles (in first five seasons) 10 AL East titles 605 Regular-season winning percentage 628 Postseason winning percentage 1,173 Yankees victories, second behind Joe McCarthy (1,460) 2 Manager-of-the-year awards (1996, 1998) *--*

*--* *--*

TORRE VS. STENGEL

How Torre’s 12 seasons with the Yankees compare with Casey Stengel’s 12 seasons:

*--* TORRE STENGEL 1,173 Wins 1,149 605 Win Pct. 623 4 Titles 7 6 Pennants 10 12 Postseason 10 *--*

*--* 2007 MANAGER SALARIES *--*

THE TOP THREE

Joe Torre, N.Y. Yankees... $7.5 million

Lou Piniella, Chicago... $3.5 million

Bobby Cox, Atlanta... $3 million

THE BOTTOM THREE

Manny Acta, Washington... $500,000

Bob Geren, Oakland... $500,000