YANKEE "FRANCHISE ON VERGE OF TOTAL COLLAPSE"--JENKINS
"This is a franchise on the verge of total collapse. It may not happen, for management's low-ball stance was aimed strictly at Torre. He's the one who was asked to accept a pathetic one-year deal with a 33 percent pay cut and incentives based on the team's performance. That won't be the case with potential free agents Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada. They're about to get the full Yankee treatment, complete with champagne, caviar and untold millions."
- (Jenkins later says Rivera and Posada need to wait and see what Arod does, but now Arod's agent says what Rivera, Posada, and Pettitte decide will predict what HE does).
"If those guys (players) watched closely - and you know they did - this wasn't a George Steinbrenner firing. The old Steinbrenner, having issued a direct threat, would have fired Torre about five minutes after the Yankees cleaned out their lockers. Then again, this is no longer George's team. With his health in question and his decisions not necessarily to be trusted, the real power brokers are his sons, Hank and Hal,
- and the Yankees' arrogant blowhard of a team president, Randy Levine."*********** (Thank-you. sm)
"To those who closely follow the Yankees, nothing could be more frightening.
Given the chance, these guys will run the franchise straight into the ground.
- They're off to a flying start, aren't they? Just as they snickered with delight and threw up their hands - "Hey, we tried to bring Joe back" - cynics across the East Coast called B.S. on their cowardice."
- Thanks to Bruce Jenkins for not drinking the corporate Kool-Aid. (sm)
posted by susan at
10/21/2007 01:26:00 AM
4 Comments:
off topic but
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Trevor_hoffman_si_cover.jpg
si cover from may 13 2002
I forget did si run any covers claiming someone was better than Jordan during his run
By
james, at 11:39 PM
This topic (defining great closers as anyone not named Mo)is 24/7 on all baseball media platforms. My deduction is they think the way to get Hoffman in the HOF is to make Rivera sink into oblivion.The guys on XM this AM used a standard technique--they praise another closer, but instead of just talking about the guy, they say "he's like Rivera used to be." For many in media, this is their main cause in life, to get Hoffman in the HOF. They seem to think maybe he won't get in unless Rivera is remembered as little more than a batboy. Tom Verducci--your SI reference--is one of the Hoffman sales team and if you put a gun to his head would only give Rivera the faintest of praise. I observe his main method is passive-aggressive- he elevates everyone else on the planet so Mo fades into the background.It works--I've seen BBWAA voting tallies from 2006--few votes for Mo, many more for Hoffman.
Anyhow, thanks for the info. I figure since Hoffman blew the season for his team, he's due for another SI cover.Of course he knew for 3 months something was wrong with his arm, went for the stats anyway, end of story.
By
susan, at 8:08 PM
Well I loved the Jason Stark article back in May about how much a better pitcher in the regular season Hoffman is than Mo. No mention of course of the differences between the anemic NL West and Anabolic AL East lineups (Gagne 84 straight saves just loves it)or the fact that Rivera is his own set up man and pitches in tie games. Then he wrapped it up that Hoffman shouldn't have his lack of post season game opportunities held against. After his season destroying performances this year Id like to commission a new article by Stark but I'm sure he'd just change the date of his old article and hand it in.
And I still love Buck Martinez making excuses for Hoffman "Hitters get tired late in the year and can magically hit his change up" and at the same time saying this is why Rivera is so good in October that lucky dog. Hes not tired from carrying the bullpen all year on his skinny legs. Wouldn't this logic make Farnsworth Sandy Koufax or Bob Gibson.
BTW I love 12 for 12 Torre but the reason no Yankees season has blown a tire and missed the playoffs has been 13 for 13 Mo Rivera who was great down the stretch in 95 and started this run. It seems every lazy sport reporter keeps writing about how hes played his whole career with Torre. They should all open their eyes and pay attention becuase its an amazing player their not covering.
By
james, at 1:51 AM
Thanks for remembering the Buck Martinez line, which is also the MLB/ESPN line since they continue to employ him. His point was "Let me tell you something about Hoffman," then as usual said nothing about him, just denigrated Mo with the incredible statement that hitters are "tired in October." I've also seen their latest about maybe Mo has been too "comfortable" with Joe Torre.!!! They don't give examples of what they mean of course.
By
susan, at 11:12 AM
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