HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Win or else! That was George Steinbrenner's message to Joe Torre before the New York Yankees played the Cleveland Indians on Sunday night.
With the Yankees trailing 2-0 in the best-of-5, first-round playoff series, Steinbrenner reverted to the blustering boss of old and said Torre likely wouldn't return as manager unless New York reaches the AL Championship Series for the first time in three years.
"His job is on the line," the owner was quoted in the Sunday editions of The Record of New Jersey. "I think we're paying him a lot of money. He's the highest-paid manager in baseball, so I don't think we'd take him back if we don't win this series."
New York then rallied from a three-run deficit for an 8-4 victory that forced Game 4.
Torre was hired before the 1996 season and led the Yankees to four World Series titles in his first five seasons but none since. New York last reached the World Series in 2003, wasted a 3-0 lead to Boston in the 2004 ALCS, then was eliminated by the Angels and Detroit in the first round the past two years.
"You're not surprised by whatever comes down the pike," Torre said. "You don't always get used to it, but you understand if you want to work here -- and there's a great deal of upside to working here -- that there are certain things you have to deal with. We've had ultimatums during the season, early in the season. This obviously is down to a game we need to win, and you'd like to believe everybody's trying to pull in the same direction."
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| Joe Torre apparently has more to prove to his Boss. (AP) |
"If we don't perform, it shouldn't be a reflection of his abilities. The reflection should be on us, not on him," pitcher Mike Mussina said. "I don't think you can ask any more from somebody who's dealt with every circumstance that has come up, from injuries to people not playing up to their abilities or scrutiny or everything, and he's stood tall and got us in the postseason every year."
In the final season of his current contract, Torre is being paid $7 million. He hasn't decided whether he would want to return but has seemed open to it in recent weeks.
"It's too early for me to address that because, you know, the most important thing for me right now is winning Game 3," he said.
Sitting in his pinstriped uniform pants with a blue Yankees windbreaker and an NY cap, he matter-of-factly answered questions for 12 minutes about 2½ hours before game time. He found out about Steinbrenner's comments when he arrived at Yankee Stadium.
"I choose not to read the papers and stuff when we don't do well," Torre said. "I jump in there when we're doing well."
Steinbrenner changed managers 20 times from 1973-95 and nearly fired Torre after last year's four-game elimination. Torre had a humorous response when asked whether his job would be safe in the Yankees did come back.
A_NY_Outlaw 
