Steve, as any Knicks fan knows, it doesn’t matter what the resume says, it only matters what you bring to the job going forward.

If you’re going to cite Lou’s resume as proof-positive that he’s a great manager and otherwise neglect all of the bad things he brings to the table then you have to do the same for Torre. As far as I’m concerned, Lou Piniella did such a bad job handling himself in Tampa last year that I don’t think he deserves to be given the chance to manage here again. The Yanks don’t need to sign a guy that wages political wars in the press, ripping everyone and doing and saying whatever it takes to make sure he gets his.

Lou Piniella is too much like Larry Brown for my taste. If the Yanks wanted a winner, they should’ve gone for Jim Leyland. In the meantime, what on earth do you really think firing Torre next week will accomplish? What ails the Yanks isn’t anything more than a rocky patch with injuries and tough opponents.

No, I don’t believe he did. Although…he was in Dallas that week. Hmmm. Get Oliver Stone on the phone. Thanks for the tip, Don.

Wang sucked big time. I think Wang is a number five maybe a number four, that’s it.

Of course it may all be Joe Torre’s fault.

And JohnnyC, that’s some crazy conspiracy theory. Your Torre hatred/obsession is affecting your mental process.

What’s next? Joe Torre shot JFK?

Steve, I don’t think anything’s happening to Torre. If there were any year in his tenure when he was completely safe, it’s 2006. It’s his swan song whether the Yankees win it all or fail to make the playoffs. I really believe that was the upshot of the “little chat” he had with Steinbrenner last fall. The return of Bernie, Cairo, and Tanya Sturtze (and the parade of veterans like Erickson and Long and many more to come)are key indications that Cashman’s been told to accomodate Torre’s wishes one last time. You are correct in not whitewashing George’s intense dislike for Torre but the money and the hostility of the press and fan base made firing Torre a remote choice even after 2005’s mediocre outcome. This is the compromise. We can only hope the team turns it around (and the fact that the core of the team is still better than the majority of squads out there is one ironic factor in Torre’s favor). People have begged Cashman to rein in Torre’s admitted “eccentricities.” I’m positive that the only one who can keep Torre from being Torre is Torre himself. Not the managers-in-waiting line-up of coaches, not Cashman, not Tampa, not even George…it’s up to Torre. I think he realizes this is the season he can show what he’s really about, without Zimmer, without Stottlemyre, without the hail mary mid-season trade for Barry Zito or Dontrelle Willis or Bobby Abreu. Is he up to it?

MJ, here’s Sweet Lou’s resume BEFORE taking the TB job:

He had wire-to-wire champs, the 1990 Reds.

He’s had four 1st place teams and four 2nd place teams. He’s had four 3rd place teams. In total, he’s been win-place-or-show 12 times in 15 full seasons.

He had a team that won 116 games in a season.

Only four times in 15 full years has his team not had a winning record.

He’s won 90+ seven times – - missing an 8th by 1 win.

Smells like a winner to me.

It taught us (or at least it taught me) that the Yanks shouldn’t panic just because they’re not on pace to win 125 games right now. Every team goes through a bad spell and that’s all this is right now.

As for being down two players, not to split hairs here but our #1 starter is MIA, our #3 starter is on the DL, our starting catcher missed the weekend series and left the job to a guy that doesn’t belong in the big leagues, our backup OF is on the DL which left the job two a couple of bums (Reese, Long) and our starting CF is playing with a broken foot and would otherwise be on the DL if not for the previously-mentioned injuries to the other 2/3 of the starting OF.

And as for how we did against Tampa in 2005, check how they did against us in 2003-2004. For that matter, check how your boy Piniella did against the Yanks in 2000 and 2001. Winner, my foot.

MJ – didn’t last year teach us that every game that you win from April to June is one less that you’ll need to win in September? I don’t think this team has learned that. And, yes, they’re down two players – but they still have several all-stars in the line-up now – and have been stinking.

TB? Is that really fair?
But, FWIW, how did NY do against his TB team last year?

As fas as Piniella, say what you want about his pitcher-handling, temper, etc. But, the guy is a winner. He won in Cincy He set a season win record in Seattle. He’s Bacardi & Cola – he gets the job done.
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So did he forget how to win with the Reds in 1991 & 1992?

Where’d he learn how to win? Don’t remember a division title from 1986-87. I remember a collapse in 1988.

That season win record, in 2001… What happened all those other years he was in Seattle?

How’d “the winner” do in Tampa Bay?

Steve, they could lose the next two in Boston, get swept by KC (like last year, remember) and STILL be fine for 2006. The negativity should start only after we’ve been eliminated from post-season play, something that isn’t scheduled to happen until the last week of September, based on our current pace. So lets just all relax and step away from the ledge. Lets put down the phone and leave Lou Piniella alone. The Yanks are still OK and nothing bad has happened. We’ve got injuries coming out the ying-yang. We’re in the middle of a bad spell. Didn’t April-June 2005 teach us ANYTHING??