Afternoon Baseball

Joe Torre has been the best manager in the history of the New York Yankees.

That's right. Though this space won't move from the belief that a year ago was the time for him to go, and that new blood was likely needed even if the Yankees won the World Series this year, he is the finest skipper this team has had.

Not just because of the four championships, six A.L. pennants and 11 division titles, but for handling of the fans, media and George Steinbrenner and his braintrust, is he deserving.

Casey Stengel had seven teams to beat. The Senators and the Browns/Orioles were never good. Neither were the A's. The Red Sox often had Ted Williams in Korea and faded after he returned. The Tigers were usually a cut below. So, Stengel's Yankees had to beat Al Lopez's team, whether it be the Indians or White Sox. Beat him they did, 10 out of 12, but the challenge wasn't the same.

Joe McCarthy had an absolutely stacked team. Take a look at it some time. Most dominant teams ever under his reign? Probably. But best manager? No knock on him to say no, though it's close -- he did handle Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio and others' egos.

Joe Torre had the toughest job due to the pressures involved. More importantly, the pressure and criticism increased over the past seven years in part because of his success. He won World Series with two of his three weakest teams (1996 and 2000), while failing to win with two of his strongest squads (1997 and 2003). The 2004 and onward squads had easily visible, fatal flaws that his managing could not longer overcome, and in some cases, compounded, but there were flaws nonetheless.

Torre brought the winning culture back to New York, along with help from some veterans and a few youngsters who themselves are getting up there. Steinbrenner, with Billy Martin, Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, et al, did so once. But they couldn't sustain it. Torre did so, and even if fair-weather, short-memory Yankees fans consider the past few years to be dark times, let them note that these dark times are glorious compared with what a lesser manager would have allowed to happen.

Enjoy retirement, Joe. We mean that -- call it quits.