American Idle Takes Shot At Green Tea Joe
Today’s New York Times runs a feature on Minnesota Twins RHP Carl Pavano, known around these parts as “American Idle.”
Yankee fans may not agree on much when it comes to Pavano — was he a justifable signing that didn’t work out or an awful signing whose lousy results should’ve been expected? – but one thing all Yankee fans can agree on is that the four years he was in Pinstripes were among the most frustrating in recent memory. Few free agents were as polarizing to the fan base, the clubhouse and the media all at the same time.
In any case, the Times wanted to check in on an ex-Yankee experiencing success in his post-New York playing career. In doing so, Pavano revealed his perspective on the manager he played for that, at one time, was considered the game’s best manager of human beings:
Teammates say he rarely describes his Yankees experience. “He always talks about how those were the worst four years of his life, but he never goes into any detail about it,” the left-hander Brian Duensing said. “We just kind of figure it’s because he was hurt all the time.”
But on Saturday something slipped. Pavano walked up to two reporters in the Twins’ clubhouse at Target Field and, out of nowhere, criticized the former Yankees manager Joe Torre’s explanation for removing the All-Star Jonathan Broxton as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ closer. Torre, who managed Pavano for three seasons, included several unflattering references about Pavano in his 2009 book, “The Yankee Years,” written with Tom Verducci, including a quotation that said: “The players all hated him. It was no secret.”
Pavano said: “Does Joe Torre think he’s a psychologist or something, taking Broxton out of the closer’s role? He’s not a psychologist.” Pavano called Torre a pejorative often heard on a schoolyard.
Later, after batting practice, Pavano said he was joking. But Pavano, who said he read Torre’s book, added: “He does play kind of a psychiatrist role. He’s an older, old-school guy that’s pretty wise, but I don’t know. I don’t know why something has to be said all the time. I just don’t understand it.”
Pavano said he and Torre had “kind of a strange relationship.”
“We were both frustrated by the fact I couldn’t go out there and pitch,” Pavano said. “I knew I could help the team, and he knew I could help the team, but it never materialized.”
About Torre’s book, Pavano said: “I don’t really have comments about it, other than, whether it was true or not true, I don’t need to defend it. I think it was kind of a weak stance, personally, but, you know, maybe he needed the money.”
One must always take such comments with a grain of salt. It’s certainly possible — probable, in fact — that Carl Pavano hated Joe Torre. But perhaps he’s projecting his own feelings on the 24 other players he played with in New York. It’s very hard to know the truth here but it does raise some interesting questions on what those final years were like under Joe Torre.
In any case, Pavano takes some shots on Torre which, frankly, weren’t exactly unprovoked. Torre never should’ve written that book and it wouldn’t surprise me if more stuff like this eventually comes out.
