Big Papi Speaks Truth To Steinbrenner

David Ortiz says the Yanks would be foolish to let Torre go:

“This is the way I see it,” Ortiz said. “Every organization is like the human body. You have a head that, if you mess around with it, everything just goes down at the same time. I think Joe Torre is the head of that organization right there.”

Ortiz recalled how the Yankees started the season with a 21-29 record and said Torre provided “the magic of keeping those guys together” and guiding them into the postseason.

The Yankees trailed the first-place Red Sox by 14 ½ games on May 29, cut the deficit to 1 ½ in the final week and finished second in the American League East.

Ortiz said that Torre, who has helped lead the Yankees into the playoffs for 12 straight years, might have done his best job this season because he prevented the Yankees from “falling apart.”

“There’s no doubt about it, he’s one of the best managers in baseball,” Ortiz said. “It’s because the way they played the first two months and going through injuries and going through everybody apart and end up being in the playoffs, you got to give him a lot of credit. You need to have a good head to keep the body together that way. And I think he did.”

The Yankees are not expected to make a decision on Torre until they hold organizational meetings in Tampa, Fla. Ortiz said that the Yankees “need to give the man respect” in how they deal with Torre’s future.
With or without Torre, the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry will continue. But, if Torre goes, Ortiz said that would favor Boston.

“I tell you what, if he doesn’t come back to the Yankees, they’re going to feel that next year somewhere,” Ortiz said. “I’m telling you that right now. The guy, he knows what he’s doing. To tell you the truth, he plays to win.”

A classy thing to say. And I agree. And however irrational it might be, I took hearth in the fact that Torre wasn't handed his own head before he got out of Yankee Stadium the other night. Perhaps, perhaps, this means that Herr Steinbrenner is actually, you know, thinking things over before doing something rash.