Torre Could Be Fired

Its also interesting that Cashman has kind of become a scapegoat, because Yankee fans all over were talking about whata great job he had done in getting rid of big contracts, but honestly if i was a yankee fan right now id be wishing RJ was back here. Hell, even Jaret Wright is better then Chase Wright or Karstens or Igawa and those bums

What a joke this is. As a Sox fan, nothing would make me happier than the Yankees firing Torre.

As I wrote on my blog this morning, once their pitching is somewhere near average-- which will happen-- the Yankees will be a top AL team for the millionth year in a row under Torre. Or, the Boss can hit the panic button, and make it that much more likely that the wheels will come off.

It'd ease my cognative dissonance, too, a bit, if the Yankees could fire Torre, and maybe unload Jeter and Rivera and Tony Pena somehow, so I could hate the Yankees without loving so many of their players and coaches.

First off I think Torre is safe until memorial day - perhaps more if he can win 4-5 in a row ( seems like the call for Manuels head in Philly have died down awfully quick after a mini win streak). Second - who would replace him mid season? Bowa - too rough and i don't think he wants it. Pena - i would say odds on favorite. Donnie Baseball - not enough time as bench coach. Girardi - would kill mattingly and staff if they brought him in as heir apparent - could cause some discontent. Personally I would go for Bobby V but Steinbrenner still runs the team so maybe go the way of the tigers and bring back an oldie but a goodie - Gene Michael ( only cuz Billy Martin is dead )

ok let's clear some things up.

1) None of this falls on Cashman. Igawa was a marketing signing. It was a response to Matsuzaka that was made for PR reasons. Did they hope he'd be a decent #5 starter? Sure. But we're missing the context of that signing here. Humberto Sanchez was supposed to be the 7th/8th inning stopgap if things went sour. He was damaged goods. Can't blame that on Cashman. That's a medical evaluation problem.

2) Phillip Hughes should NOT have been called up in September or to start the season. He isn't ready and when pitchers aren't ready and have all this hype, they tend to do things like overpitch. He's their future. You don't risk that on a 20 year old kid who could use some more time to get a feel for AAA.

3) Torre can't work a bullpen. Like Olney reported in his column, he's been awful at that. That's why Torre is taking some heat right now. And that's exactly as it should be.

It really isn't anyone's fault - $200 million just doesn't buy as much as it used to.

touchmymonkey-

As much as I hate to think of it this way, baseball is a business. The Yankees are a franchise that is competing with other teams for marketing opportunities in Japan. In the long run, signing Igawa was an investment that will pay for itself. There's more to it then what occurs on the field, despite what we as fans want to believe.

On Sanchez, teams don't just go taking gamble's without having a strong medical opinion in favor of that decision. Was Cashman aware that he could be hurt? Sure. But someone on their medical staff had to be of the opinion he'd more than likely be ok.

The problem with Torre is he's having these guys warm up and come in to pitch to a hitter or two. It's one thing to play matchups. But when five of your relief pitchers are already on pace for 85+ IP, that's overuse.

it's impossible for a fan to calculate the value of a signing like Igawa from that perspective. If Forbes can't do it, what good are we. The Yanks franchise is worth over $2.4 billion dollars right now, after being worth only $600 million in ten years ago. They've been doing something right since then, and it has a lot to do with their off the field operations with the Yes network and offshore marketing.

I can see that. It just scares the crap out of me using him this early. Yankees have a way of making every situation high pressure. I'd rather err on the side of caution, but that's just me.

Baseball revenue outside the USA goes directly to MLB, not the Yankees.

There is no marketing signing, Igawa was a reaction to Matsuzaka.

Reaction PR move? WTF?

Why do the Yankees need a reaction PR move for a Japanese pitcher? they have the most famous Japanese slugger on their team for over 3 years already. that's just ridiculas spectulation.

Were the other options better bets? woudl you like the Yankees to give Zito 8+ years and/or over 20M a year after luxury tax? would you like Jason Schidmt? who's also on the DL and was throwing in the mid to low 80s his last couple times out? RJ also started the season on the DL and was bombed in his first start, that would REALLY help the Yankees wouldn't it, as well as Jaret Wright, who's also on the DL again. oh and his last start before the DL he lsted 2.1 innings using 90 pitches. that would REALLY help the Yankees?

Ted Lilly and Randy Wolf was probably the only other two none crap (so the Yanks shoulda signed Jeff Weaver for 8M?) none geezard out there (Wells, Glavine , Maddux, Williams anyone), Wolf signed a home town deal intentionally so there's little to do about that. while Lilly didn't want to come back to the Yanks anyway, and whats more, people need to realize that he also barely averaged past 5 innigns last year and he's also a guy that comes with all sorts of injuries, how is he any less likely to pull something? or go less than 5? or walk the park? (bb/9 over 4 last year)

Kei Igawa's career stats matchs favorablly with Nomo and Matsuzaka, in fact he has by far the best walk rate amoung the 3, people are just overwhelmed by the Matsuzaka hype and somehow sees him as the anti Matsuzaka or somehing and not bothering to even look up what he's done in Japan. or hell even watch his starts other than on SC after he bombs one of his 4 starts. he has a fastball that sits comfortablly in the low 90s (above average for LHP SPs) and a plus curve with a plus change, it's hard to think that a guy with a 2.5 ish career NPB walk/9 rate (Matsuzaka is 3.2ish while Nomo was wild thing 5+ in the NPB) would forget how to throw strikes forever in the States.

He clearly hasn't gotten his grove down yet (Today was pretty good though, but still wild on a few occasion) but it's ridiculas how people jump to conclusion that are simply not there.

Quintis...

please don't come out like an asshole when you don't particularly know what you are talking about. I hate when people try to slam other people as if they are the know all end all and they aren't even correct.

http://www.reuters.com/news/video/videoStory?videoId=5433

I belive the Igawa signing was 90% intended to get a somewhat decent 5th starter with a little upside at a decent price. Luxury tax figured in they're paying him less than say Miguel Batista, and he's still preferable to him. The fact that he's a Japanese is a bonus.

I didn't like the RJ trade. I wish we had a pitcher just like him, but not necessarily him, because he clearly was not right for NY. Vizcaino is ok but a bit overrated, and the prospects they got were mediocre. I was never in favor of that trade.

In any case, like others said, if Wang and Mussina never got hurt, this wouldn't happen. It's not just two starters - it's the cascading effect on the bullpen. Come mid-May the Yankees will be fine.

A Marketing signing that generates little to no additiional income?

Marketing No, PR maybe, there was a move to sell this guy in some corners as someone better than Matsuzaka (strike out crowns in japan) at half the price.

What we have seen over the first month is a guy pretty much no better than any of the 5kids the Yankees have in AAA.

Todays game would have to be the turning of a corner to make that contract look good.46million for 5years? Phil Hughes could give me 5years service for 15million, and I think I know who has the better long term potential. Kartstens, Sanchez, Wright..

Igawa hasn't been any different in the month of April than any of them.

And for those who couldn't be stuffed reading the above article, Mr. Kennedy is the Red Sox' Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales. I think he knows what he is talking about.

Marketing doesn't just encompass selling tickets and team jerseys, hats, etc. Sure, tourists from Japan are now more likely to come to a Yankee game, and that tourism in combination with the new stadium and investments in the area is part of the Yankees effort to revive the Bronx. But marketing efforts extend far beyond sales. This is about making a marketing investment to lower the cost of future operations.

This is like advertising for a beer company like Bud. Do you really think they need all that advertising to sell their product? Do you really think there aren't decreasing marginal returns to scale on that investment? But they still do it. Why? It's called market proliferation. It increases the cost for their competitors. As the firm with deep pockets, they are pricing their competition out of the market.

The Yankees, like Bud, are also brand. This is precisely what the Yankees and Red Sox are trying to do. They are investing in baseball in Asia, as other teams have done before in Latin America. Each signing offers a significant return on investment and will lower the cost of future signings while also increasing the cost for their competition. They are building the brand as a status symbol in the Asian market. This is basic marketing strategy. It's not all about immediate returns. It's an investment in the future. Most people overlook market as a way to decrease costs, and only see it as a cost center. That's a costly assumption.

Most people overlook marketing**