No matter how many new faces are playing for the 2006 Yankees the manager will be the same. Joe Torre has decided to return to the Yankees for another year. “If I sensed that they were thinking something different than I was, then we were going to have to find a way to split up,” he said on Tuesday.
The fact that Torre actually contemplated walking away from 13 million dollars and the last two years of his contract speaks volumes about the dysfunction that exists within the organization. The Tampa faction led by failed pitching coach, Billy Connors, uses their proximity to George Steinbrenner to influence him. The New York faction, led by Torre and current GM Brian Cashman, spends most of the season on the defensive. Considering the circumstances, both have done remarkable jobs in the tenure with the team
The Yankees must find a way to heal the rift within their organization if they hope to return to their past glories. Putting the right 25 players on a team is an incredibly difficult task, one that cannot be done by two different groups. Torre seemed to indicate that there will be greater communication between the two sides on Tuesday, but after thirty years the only certainty with George Steinbrenner is that he will do as he pleases.
