But, I hope that you all will be so cool with Joe Girardi next year, when, in Game 3 of the 2008 World Series he brings in Kei Igawa out of the pen and he blows the game for the Yankees…because, that’s the equivalent of what Torre did in 2003 with Weaver.
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And is right in line with what he has done in the past.

Pitchers like Brian Boehringer, Esteban Loaiza, David Weathers, Graeme Lloyd, etc had no business being on a postseason roster, and yet there they were. Several have done quite well.

FWIW, Steve, I agree with you on the Weaver thing.

A few have wondered why Yankee fans continue to attack Joe. I can answer for myself. After that WS, I really started to see clearly how Joe was a poor in-game manager. I had already seen that he made bizarre roster management decisions (Knoblauch in LF, not making Posada a starter until 1999, poor bullpen management, etc.).

But what really bothered me about Joe was the fact that I seemed to care more about Yankee post-season losses than Joe. Joe was coasting on his laurels and he refused to even imagine that it would be hard for a team with a payroll advantage like the Yankees NOT to make the playoffs. In other words, Joe was deluded.

Let me quote what Joe told A-Rod in 2006:

“This is all about honesty. And it’s not about anybody else but you. You can’t pretend everything is O.K. when it’s not. You have to face the reality that you’re going through a tough time, and then work from there.”

Joe should have taken his own words to heart. He makes excuses; he refuses to face reality.

OK guys, we can agree to disagree on the Weaver thing. But, I hope that you all will be so cool with Joe Girardi next year, when, in Game 3 of the 2008 World Series he brings in Kei Igawa out of the pen and he blows the game for the Yankees…because, that’s the equivalent of what Torre did in 2003 with Weaver.

And furthermore, Felix Heredia, Chris Hammond, Gabe White & Rivera were available along with Weaver.

Mo had pitched two innings the day prior. I am almost positive that had Weaver gotten through that inning, you would’ve seen Rivera for the meat of the Marlins order.

Sorry Steve, you are being totally unfair with the “Big Book of Excuses”

Twelve straight post season appearances is more than any other time in Yankeeland, and second only to the Braves – who only won 1 WS. Would you think differently of the Torre era if the team had spread out the WS championships.

Yes, there are valid criticisms of Torre’s in-game managing, but to whine about excuses when other organizations actually are getting smarter about evaluating players and competing to get those same best players (no more St. Louis Browns of the 1950s) is beyond the line.

Total bullshit Steve.

Wow! What a rant Steve. But as I, and then Raf point out, Weaver had an easy inning prior. Or you can call it lucky, but how was it lucky? That he retired the side? Let it go Steve, let it go.

Weaver had an easy inning against tougher hitters (Conine-Lowell-Lee), despite having that month layoff. He was facing 8-9-1 in the batting order. After the inning he had prior, there was no reason to take him out, especially with his spot in the order approaching.

~~~Steve, you’ve beaten the Jeff Weaver thing to death. Didn’t Weaver have an easy first inning in relief and then faced the bottom of the Marlins order? Time to put that canard to rest.~~~

Let us review.

Weaver starts a game on 9/13. Then, he has 8 days rest and pitches on 9/22 – retiring no one and allowing a walk and a homer, on 6 pitches, to blow a game in relief. He then throws an inning on 9/24 – 12 pitches.

Then, in the WS, on 10/22 – Torre brings him into a tie game, in the 11th inning. In THE MONTH, yes, ONE MONTH prior to this game, he’s thrown 18 pitches in a game conditions. EIGHTEEN PITCHES IN A MONTH. A month!

Weaver gets lucky for an inning and then blows the game in the 12th.

Torre should have been fired for this move when it happened. What MGR brings in a guy, in the 11th inning, game tied, in a huge WS game, when he’s got other arms in the pen – BETTER ARMS – and the guy coming in has thrown just 18 pitches over the last month? A MONTH!

Sorry, there’s no way to beat this to death – because it’s THAT BAD of a MGR move, at least to me. You’re welcome to think different.

It appears as if Mr. Torre will again take the high road, talking about general baseball themes and his “wonderful 12 years” with the Yanks.

The low road would have been a far juicier book: Handling irate Steinbrenner phone calls; defending expensive pitchers who under-performed or never performed; answering planted questions by Levine cronies during post-game interviews; Raul Mondesi, and so forth…

Translation: It’s going to be “Torre’s Big Book of Excuses.”
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I have to say, I find that rather unfair. He’s going to tell the reader the version of the events as he perceives them. If you interpret that as excuse-making that’s certainly your right. But I don’t think he’s writing the book to make excuses for not winning the 2003 WS.

Despite the numerous times that I got angry with him for his arbitrary decision-making, I still can’t understand why we’re killing him in the blogosphere. Those games are over and done with. He was more or less given an “unvitation” to remain as manager. He’s gone. Let’s all move on for Pete’s sake.