This is the kiss of death!! Torre will be canned by Sunday!!

I'm not saying Steinbrenner isn't at his optimum best. I'm just saying that the most exciting part of his statement is the play by play: "Koufax, Koufax kicks. He delivers. It's up the middle! It's a base hit! Richardson is rounding first. He's going for second. The ball's into deep right center. Davis cuts the ball off! Here comes the throw. He throws it to second! He slides! He's in there! He's safe! It's a double! Richardson's on second base! Koufax is in big f**king trouble! Big trouble, baby! All right. Tresh is the next batter. Tresh looks in. Koufax... Koufax gets a sign from Roseboro. He kicks once. He pumps. He fires. It's a strike! Koufax's curve ball is snapping off like a f**king firecracker! All right, here he comes with the next pitch. Tresh swings. It's a long fly ball to deep left center! It's going! It's gone! Let's hear it! One way!"

Stay classy, kevin.

As for the intro question - it was probably Rubenstien (who's per-word fees must be just through the roof!).

This sounds like a typical late vintage Steinbrenner statement, long on tradition, short on substance - which is good. The less he actually does the better... remember kids, the Yankees are 6.5 games out with 139 to play! There's a lot of baseball to be played, so let's not panic.

The less he actually does the better

welll...yeah

it's not clear at this point whether George can actually DO anything

(except maybe play "find your foot")

Somebody want to change kevins diapers and wipe the drool off his chin?

The bottom line to me is that at least for now, the Yankees aren't paying attention to the tabloid / internet axis of hysteria mongers. And the more they can learn just to laugh those idiots off, the better off they'll be.

Of course if The New York Post has a formula for magically reincarnating a time-frozen 1998 pitching staff, then maybe they should clue us all in on it.

But if those DL pitchers don't return soon, and return to their form of 4 of 5 years ago while they're at it, it isn't going to matter how they rearrange the deck chairs. This may just be one of those years.

I'm torn about whether Torre should be fired or not. On one hand, he's made, and will continue to make, foolish decisions about how to manage the bullpen and playing guys who he shouldn't. On the other hand, there is no manager in the world who doesn't have his own problems making foolish decisions on a consistent basis -- and if the Yankees terminated Torre, they wouldn't be sending a message that the moves he makes are unacceptable, they'd be sending the message that losing is unacceptable.

In a perfect world I'd like to see Torre stay and have him stop playing Doug Mientkiewicz regularly while using more of his relivers for multiple innings.

BTW yankee fans. I have done a review on Phil Hughes' mechanics. I hope that it'll go up tomorrow at THT. It's about time I tapped into the Yankee market.

Somebody want to change George's diapers and wipe the drool off his chin?

Not sure, but it'll take a professional to change his nasogastric tube.

I didn't follow anyone else really besides the Red Sox in the off season. But is Doug Mientkiewicz really the cause of the problems? Did Torre sign him or did Cashman or Steinbrenner or whoever?

Cashman signed him.

Torre plays him.

As for Steinbrenner: from Torre's perspective, if George is not all there, doesn't that make the Tampa braintrust more dangerous, because he's either more easily manipulated or so out-of-touch that they can claim to be speaking for him when they're not? The NY-based reporters who all talk to them say Torre's biggest enemies in the organization are in that group.

But is Doug Mientkiewicz really the cause of the problems?

No, of course not. But he's not helping, and is in fact hindering. With the problems the Yankees have, they don't need someone eating outs because they bring a good glove to a position where defense is only of mild importance. Especially when there's a solid hitter already on the roster.

When you have the problems the Yankees have, you don't need the bullpen getting worn out because they're warming up and throwing fifteen pitches every single day -- you'd be much better off if one pitcher threw 45 pitches and took a day or two off. Even if it means losing a game every now and then. You'll lose more with a worn-out bullpen.

9-14 isn't Joe Torre's fault. It isn't Doug Mientkiewicz's fault, and it isn't even Brian Cashman's fault, considering the options he really had this offseason. It's generally that injuries and slumps have been poorly timed. It doesn't appear to me that any of their older players have suffered a real decline. Maybe Abreu, but it's more likely a decline to a "good" hitter who should be hitting 6th or 7th than a bad hitter. Rivera's problems were almost certainly rust and bad luck.

They'll turn it around. I'd be shocked if they didn't. But Torre's got severe flaws that need to be corrected. They probably never will, but a new manager will have his own severe flaws.