[EmpireWF]

Locally, Joe Torre is being criticized often and a lot by fans on talk radio for his usage of the bullpen so far this season. Most notably, using Mariano in the 8th on Friday night.

Anyone agree?

[legend]

The problem is that he took out Proctor after he pitched to just 2 men in the seventh to bring it Mike Myers to pitch to Ortiz. After Ortiz got what seemed his fifteenth straight hit off of this 59 year old hurler, he went to Visciaino, who has pitched way too much and is not that good to begin with. This led to his panicking and going for Rivera, who hopefully is just in one of his slumps and not on the decline.

Naturally, Giambi's spot came up in the ninth with a man on, but he wasn't around, having been taken out for a pinch-runner. Kevin Thompson struck out to end the game. There is no need to use a pinch-runner for Giambi in the seventh or eighth inning unless your intent is to have him steal second.

[ThePundit]

As Legend says, the worst thing is the panicking. Torre promised he wasn't going to use Rivera in the 8th this year - at least until they were desperate. And to bring him in a game in April is not only going back on his word, but saying to the rest of the team that he has no confidence in them.

I hope the Yankees don't extend Torre. Wait until the end of the year and if he has another bad year, show him the door.

The last few years, he has not done a good job managing. He had his run, and now it may be time to move on.

[LSC9901]

If he makes it this year doesn't that make him the longest running manager for the Yankees ?

[legend]

I like Torre as a person, and I realize that nobody has ever done a better job of managing egos, but the bottom line is that he is not a real good in-game manager. Now that Rivera has some age on him and is not nearly what he was, all of Torre's mistakes cannot be covered up by marianbo bailing him out late.

[Lefty Noob]

Torre has been a good manager for much of his career, but with these recent panic moves and the general erosion of effectiveness that tends to happen among longer-tenured coaches and managers, I definitely agree that it's about time for New York to make a change. They need a fresh face with some new ideas.

[EmpireWF]

He won't be fired but I can see him moving on after this year. The eventual decision will probably be all on Torre depending on whether he wants to stick around or not.

[WaltonBill]

I could see him being fired...I mean, wasn't the son-in-law the one who stuck up for him last year? He's not around anymore so we could see the return of the cranky Steinbrenner.

[EmpireWF]

From all accounts, Steinbrenner doesn't have as much free power in the day to day things. He has to go through people...ie, why it was reported Torre was gone in the off-season (after Bill Madden spoke to Steinbrenner)...then it turned out, he was talked out of it.

I think Torre will stay for the remainder of the season (he won't be canned) and then finally call it a career.