Fire the Boss

The word is that, after the Yankees were humiliatingly defeated in the first round of the playoffs, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner wants to get rid of the team's manager, Joe Torre.

This is pretty typical behavior on the part of Steinbrenner who, although he has behaved himself in the past decade, has had a habit of taking his frustrations out on his managers when he doesn't get what he wants. This goes all the way back to the 70s and 80s, when he embarrassed Yogi Berra by canning him at the beginning of a season, not to mention his cringe-inducing on-again, off-again dysfunctional managerial dance with the hapless Billy Martin.

The Yankees haven't won the World Series since 2000, when they beat the Mets. Is that Torre's fault?

I don't think it is.

George Steinbrenner has a habit of spending too much money for players who are past their prime, and then complaining about it. Instead of getting a young pitching staff and bringing up players through their farm system, the Yankees have had a habit of mortgaging their future for short-term results -- and then not getting them. That's not Torre's fault. A manager can only work with what he's given to work with. The fact that the Yankees have underachieved in the past few years can be laid at the feet of Steinbrenner himself and his GM, Brian Cashman. Firing Torre won't help matters at all.

So Steinbrenner, with the highest payroll on baseball, might just have to watch the Mets play in the World Series. Being a longtime Mets fan, I kind of like that. It's too bad the Boss can't fire himself -- he might be able to improve the team that way.

Tom Moran