Yankees Manager Torre to Return Next Season

By TYLER KEPNER and MARIA NEWMAN
The New York Times
Published: October 10, 2006

A chagrined Joe Torre said today he will return for his 12th season as manager of the New York Yankees, saying that in spite of losing to the Tigers this year, it remains “the best job of my life.”

Torre said the Yankees’ principal owner, George Steinbrenner, called him this morning to tell him he wanted him to come back for the final year of his contract, after keeping the manager and fans in suspense for several days while he mulled over whether to replace Torre in the wake of the Yankees’ failure to make it to the World Series this season.

“He gave me his support,” Torre said at a news conference at Yankee Stadium. “I’m just pleased I’m able to stay on and do this.”

He also said that he expected third baseman Alex Rodriguez to return next season. “Alex is one of the important pieces of this puzzle here,” Torre said.

General manager Brian Cashman said: “I am excited Joe is coming back. We have dreams here and we don’t stop dreaming the dreams and making them a reality.” He added, “This team played hard for Joe Torre.”

The Yankees’ first-round elimination on Saturday by the Detroit Tigers in the American League division series was a disappointment to fans, and especially to the team and its owners, Torre said. He added that he did not assume Steinbrenner would keep him on, although no one had told him he would go.

“I can’t say it doesn’t hurt,” he said about losing to the Tigers. “At the same time, nobody makes you any promises.”

Both he and Steinbrenner, in a statement issued by the spokesman Howard Rubenstein, talked about the high expectations, and therefore the pressure, that comes with being a Yankee.

“When you put the Yankee uniform on you understand that there are requirements and there are no excuses, and we’re just required to perform and to be the best out there, and we didn’t perform like that,” Torre said.

In a statement, Steinbrenner said he told Torre: “You’re back for the year. I expect a great deal from you and the entire team. I have high expectations, and I want to see enthusiasm, a fighting spirit and a team that works together. Responsibility is yours, Joe, and all of the Yankees.”

He added: “Yes, I am deeply disappointed about our loss this year. We have to do better, and I deeply want a championship. It’s about time.”

Torre, 66, has managed the Yankees to four World Series, and never missed the playoffs in 11 years with the Yankees. But the team has not won a championship since 2000.

Now with the longest uninterrupted term for a Yankees manager since Casey Stengel held the job for 12 years from 1949-60, Torre said it is just understood that the Yankees will play for nothing less than the championship. It was as if he was trying to psyche himself up for next season.

“When we go to spring training every year we talk about getting to the World Series,” he said. “We don’t talk about having a good year, let’s have a good record and all that stuff.

“We know what the requirements are. With the danger of failing is the elation of winning. You can’t get elated unless there’s a danger.”

Late in the season and during the playoffs, Torre made several controversial decisions, especially when he dropped Rodriguez to eighth in the batting order for the fourth and final game of the series against Detroit. Rodriguez, who finished the series 1 for 14, had not batted that far down in a lineup in more than 10 years.

Others in the organization, still reeling from the team’s loss to the Tigers, had doubts about whether Torre should stay.

Steinbrenner has long been enamored with Lou Piniella, a former player, general manager and manager for the Yankees. But on Monday, Steinbrenner was still seeking answers from his executives about what went wrong in the playoffs.

That has been a pastime for Steinbrenner the last six seasons after a postseason loss. But Torre’s position had never been more vulnerable, and rarely had such obvious possible successors been available.

Various players and coaches have supported Torre.

“To deal with a lot of superstars is hard,” said the reserve infielder Miguel Cairo, who packed his belongings at Yankee Stadium on Monday. “For him, it’s easy. It’s a plus when you have a manager like that, who knows how to do it.”

Starter Jaret Wright said he would have been sad to see Torre leave, and reliever Ron Villone called Torre a class act and a great manager. When Steinbrenner considers changes to the team, Villone said, he should not start with Torre.

“You can look at the bullpen, you can look at the lineup, you can look at the bench,” Villone said. “I’d rather look there first than look at who’s sitting on the bench.”

The Yankees have won nine consecutive A.L. East division titles under Torre, but he is 3-10 in his past 13 playoff games.

Michael S. Schmidt contributed reporting.