When Yogi Berra, a Yankee legend and arguably the most popular Yankee player to ever serve as Yankee manager, was unceremoniously fired as manager in 1985 by one of George Steinbrenner’s minions, it set off a feud that lasted for 14 years. Berra had agreed to return as manager for the 1985 after receiving a personal assurance from Steinbrenner that he wouldn’t be fired.
Sixteen games into the season, George sent Clyde King to tell Yogi Berra to leave. And the legendary catcher didn’t return to Yankee Stadium for fourteen years.
Fast forward 22 years. Yesterday, a reporter asked Joe Torre if he would still return to take part in Old Timer’s Day and the opening of the new Yankee Stadium in 2009. Torre, visibly upset, refused to say yes.
So does this mean that Steinbrenner has managed to piss off another legendary Yankee, Bob Klapsich at the Bergen Record thinks so:
He said as much in Friday’s news conference at the Hilton Rye Town, a 70-minute exercise in understated grace and restraint. Torre never lost his temper, but he nevertheless got his message across, saying the one-year offer was an “insult” and that he had “no choice” but to walk away from the room full of businessmen who have no idea how the baseball world really works.
Later, on WFAN-AM, Torre all but accused the Yankee hierarchy of being liars, saying “it would’ve been more honest” had he been fired outright without the charade of a new contract.
That sets the stage for Torre’s revenge. When someone asked how he envisions his future role – as ambassador to the new Stadium, perhaps, or the star of a future Old-Timers’ Day event – Torre’s expression went dead-cold. He said, “I’m not ready to comment on that.” It was the equivalent of Joe Cool telling George, Hank and Hal Steinbrenner: This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.
Torre knows he can hurt the Yankees by pulling a Yogi, refusing to show up at the ballpark for however long it takes the club to realize its mistake. That means no Old-Timers’ Day, no first-pitch ceremonies, no Joe Torre Day, at least not for a while, anyway. The Bombers prattled on and on about Torre’s integrity, even on his way out, but they’re about to find out how badly they mishandled this coup. All the Yankees had to do was show Torre a little respect. Cut his pay, if they really had to, but they should’ve given him a second year’s guarantee and another 10-year personal services contract after his retirement, allowing Torre to act as the franchise’s greeter, spokesman and guru.
That would’ve been the smart thing to do, but whoever said these guys were smart ?
Torre will get his revenge, and, just like when Yogi did it, the fans will be behind him.
October 30th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
As a retired ‘Brooklynite’ living in Florida, I say the best revenge Joe Torre can do to the Yankees is to sign on with the ‘Dodgers’ (as in Brooklyn Dodgers) Oh, how sweet…there is a God!