nomaas.org gets it right

10.22.2007 Before the sympathy tour continues...

Have a look at this:

Torre's so persuasive, in fact, that after his emotional hour-long press gathering the other day, he had half of New York believing that the Yankees insulted him with their $5 million guaranteed offer (with incentive clauses for another $3 million) and the other half believing that he was fired.

Torre can feel hurt if he wants by the take-it-or-leave-it stance of Yankees' decisionmakers. But for the record, it should be known now that their recent offer was actually better than the one discussed in spring, months before the team bowed out in the first round for a third straight postseason.

Back then, SI.com has learned, the Yankees and Torre were talking about a one-year $4.5 million extension with Steve Swindal, the son-in-law who signed Torre to his lucrative $6.4 million-a-year deal, and Torre was receptive to the offer. But that extension fell apart after Swindal was arrested for a DWI on Valentine's Day and Swindal's marriage to George Steinbrenner's daughter, Jennifer, subsequently disintegrated. The Yankees hierarchy decided it would be best to let all four of its major stars (including A-Rod, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada) play out the season under their current deals.

At the time, according to people familiar with those talks, Torre told his bosses that it was his great goal to be able to close out the old Yankee Stadium. Yet when his superiors gave him a chance to do just that last week -- at $500,000 more than what had been discussed in the spring -- Torre took it as an insult. An opportunity to close out the stadium was offered as a one-year extension, but he wanted a second year that would have guaranteed that he'd open new Yankee Stadium, as well. (Source)

And for those who are whining and spreading the idea that Cashman has lost power:

...the GM said he agreed that the one-year deal was the right offer. And I don't believe he's only saying that now to be a team player. Every Yankee exec -- Cashman, included -- started to wonder about Torre's strategies, especially the overuse of some relievers and the under-use of some young position players. (Source)