Idle musings on baseball.

Big news around New York has been the Yankee fade to the Cleveland Indians in the Division Series. So much so that there has been talk about Joe Torre being fired for the team’s performance. In my mind though, this is probably one of the best managing jobs Torre has done in his 12 years with the Yankees. He basically took a team everyone had written off for dead back in June and got them to the wildcard! Hell, they were even in contention for the division crown until very late in the season!

So, it is somewhat ironic Torre is being called out for the ’07 Yankees.

Let‘s talk about a couple of things relating to that though...

First off, has it occurred to anyone that the Mets decision to retain Willie Randolph had as much to do with keeping him from managing the Yankees in ’08 while the Mets were paying him? It was no secret around New York that Joe Torre’s job was very much in jeopardy if the Yankees didn’t win it all this year. Wouldn’t Willie have made a very logical choice to replace Torre given the thought that Mattingly was not yet ready for the job?

Speaking of Torre, one thing you hear about is how the Yankees are going to get rid of him. Now, Torre is admittedly the highest paid manager in all of baseball with a 2007 salary of $7.5 million and one has to wonder at times given the vast resources at any Yankee managers disposal if a manager who made only $1 million or less couldn’t get at least comparable results. So, the question becomes if it is important for the Yankees to send a message and if in fact Joe Torre does want to stay with the Yankees, why not a pay cut? Maybe if they were to reup Torre, why not give him an incentive laden contract akin to what a player would get?

Just curious.

Meanwhile, in regard to free agents...

Why do I shudder when I think of Mariano Rivera in a Braves uniform? Better still why do I think the Red Sox would make a big push for Rivera (if only as an eighth inning guy)? Those are just two of the teams I’m thinking of right off the bat although the Phillies, Orioles, Blue Jays and even the Mets should be interested.

Speaking of the Mets being interested in a Yankee free agent, is there any way you don’t see the Mets making a big push for Jorge Posada?

A-Rod? C’mon if not Chicago, there are a host of other teams - the Angels, the Dodgers, the Red Sox who would love to have him.