Maybe Torre Wasn’t the Problem
2008 October 3
So maybe Joe Torre wasn’t the problem after all. You’d think that a team with by FAR the highest payroll in the major leagues ($209 million this year — followed by $138 million for the Detroit Tigers) would be a shoe-in for the playoffs. Surely if you buy the best players in the big leagues, you’ll breeze right into October. So it must have been Torre.
But now Torre’s gone. He’s still got a team in the playoffs (the Dodgers), but the Yankees are sitting at home.
The Phillies are in with a $98 million payroll; the Brewers at $81 million; and the Tampa Bay Rays with a payroll total of just $43 million.
For me . . . I’d be happy with a Red Sox/Cubs world series. The Dodgers are holding a 2-0 lead, though.
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You know Torre is loving the irony of it all!
Torre may be loving the fact that he’s sticking it to the Steinbrenner family but he practically raised those kids in the Bronx named Posada, Jeter, Rivera and Pettitte. Torre’s not the kind of guy to gloat – inwardly or outwardly – and that’s what makes him a great skipper.
As for the Yanks, Cashman realizes that buying players is not the way to get it done. And so they’ll continue to pay big bucks for a few big name players but the focus will now be on player development. That’s what won them all those rings in the ’90s and it’s what will add to their 26 others in the future.
Gloat now, boys. The Yanks will be back. That much is guaranteed. There are 26 rings to back that up.
That’s why the play the games. Funny things always happen in Otober.
As a Cubs fan, I am stunned right now. I have no words for what is happening.
Mike,
I would be interested at some point again to discuss the Emergent movement and some of the topics Scot McKnight brought up in the article you linked to. Unfortunately, anytime you include any political discussion in one of your posts, it dominates the comments. While I appreciate your willingness to confront issues that are important to each of us, I haven’t found the discussions to be really helpful. I’m not asking you not to talk about politics anymore, but it would be nice to have some posts for discussion without it.
Oh and “Go Cubs Go”.
A Texas Rangers fan doesn’t have much room to gloat, and a Rockies fan only a modest amount. But this is what’s known as “poetic justice” and “comeuppance,” and it appeals to qb’s cheerful, Schadenfreudist impulses.
It’s easy to be a Yankee fan with all of those rings and all of that history (and all that money to throw around at superstars). It’s not as easy to be a fan of a doormat. (Texas Aggies have all the street cred we need in that respect.)
qb
Between the lines of this post: the Redbirds didn’t make it either.
As most of you who know me know, unless my son is playing, I rank baseball far down the list, behind football, spring football, 7-on-7 football, beach volleyball, jacks, hopscotch, curling, …. Therefore, I really do not care about the Yankees, or any others. I do, however, get a kick out of hearing so many people complain about all of the money the Yankees spend. I just wonder how many of their fans would be complaining if they did not spend their money in an effort to improve the team, like the Cincinnati Bengals, for example. At least George Stienbrenner has tried to improve them by spending the one thing that they have so much of. He has not cheated or violated any baseball rules. He ahs chosen to use his money in an attempt to put a better product on the field.
Just seems silly, but then so does figuring out what a certain player’s batting average is on Tuesday, playing on natural grass against a lefthanded pitcher who is pitching on 17 days rest who’s last start was a night game east of the mississippi but south of Kansas after a rainout caused by a tropical depression named after an English poet born before William Shakespeare….
Too much boring downtime in baseball for me.
CS
charlie s. – hilarious.
Red Sox? RED SOX???
Et tu, Mike?
I’m excited about the Dodgers, though they’re my third favorite team after the Cardinals & the Red Sox.
I just thought a GIRL needed to comment amidst all this testosterone.
Nice to hear from you, Annie. No Zoe conf this year?
Well….we were coming this year, but had to cancel on Wednesday. Way too much going on this Fall. I have to say we have thought of y’all all evening long, & know it’s wonderful, as usual. Any truth to the rumor y’all might come to DT in AR? A girl can dream….
Oh, I love my “Fearless” CD. As much as I enjoy hearing you, Randy & Jeff speak, my favorite part of the worship experience is getting to sing with/listen to the Zoe group. Somehow, I sing so well when they’re leading.
This lifelong Dodger fan is loving this!
Yes, it has been very interesting to see Joe Torre’s effects on what used to be a lackluster LA team. Of course, getting Manny helped quite a bit as well.
I agree with Joe’s comment that Torre seems to be a “high road” kind of guy. I’m proud of him.
I’m with David, I bleed Dodger Blue. Season ticket hold for a couple years when I was young and didn’t have responsibilities. Baseball is for poets, Football is for people suffering from ADHD. I sat in my truck a couple of weeks ago to hear Vin Scully announce the first inning of the Dodger game on XM. Nobody paints with a better brush in my book.
I’ll be sitting in front of the big screen today with my Dodger hat on and my three sons eating Dodger dogs and drinking a beer. I’ll miss my Dad while watching the game remembering the time we went to a Giants Dodger game and he proceeded to catch three foul balls in one game. Baseball is about “Over the Line” during the summer when you could only get 4 people to play. It’s about riding our Schwinn Sting Rays down to Blair Field and watch Long Beach State baseball team (before they were the “Dirtbags” (Longoria, Tulowitzki)). It’s about the old Italian couple who would bring me veal sandwiches to the Dodger game since they knew I came straight from work. I know there is greed, and I know that Baseball encourage steroid use after the strike season to win fans back. But I enjoyed my 30+ high school baseball losses more then I enjoyed my 28-5 high school football career. Go Dodgers…Go Tampa Bay.
“Between the lines of this post: the Redbirds didn’t make it either.”
Make that: “The Padres didn’t make it either.” In fact the Padres didn’t even make it to the regular season. Who knows who those impostors were, but they certainly didn’t play ball like MY Padres do.
The Dodgers simply must NOT be allowed to win any more games.
That’s it! I have spoken!! [grin and chortle]
“Between the lines of this post: the Redbirds didn’t make it either.”
Make that: “The Padres didn’t make it either.” In fact the Padres didn’t even make it to the regular season. Who knows who those impostors were, but they certainly didn’t play ball like MY Padres do.
The Dodgers simply must NOT be allowed to win any more games.
That’s it! I have spoken!! [grin and chortle]
Mike, sorry for the double post. Guess I became too passionate about the Dodgers. Please feel free to delete the duplicate post. Thanks!
At one point in the ceremony, all the 2008 graduates of Pepperdine University replaced their mortarboards with Dodger caps.
With support like that, how could the Dodgers NOT have a great season?
Annie,
No baseball comment from me but as a fellow DT member, (I’m one of the ladies in a wheelchair) I am thrilled that there is a rumor.
I hope and fervently pray that it might be a reality rather than a rumor.
Vicky
Dr. McKnight has posted some reflections on his experience at the Zoe conference at http://www.jesuscreed.org/. qb
The Steinbrenner’s refuse to mention Torre in the video tribute when Yankee Stadium was closed down. Classy move. Fact of the matter is – the Yanks haven’t won a ring without Torre since the 70′s and some guy named Reggie was hitting homeruns.
”
Annie,
… but as a fellow DT member, (I’m one of the ladies in a wheelchair) I am thrilled that there is a rumor.
I hope and fervently pray that it might be a reality rather than a rumor.
Vicky”
Now you ladies can just quit that right now. We are NOT ready to let go of Mike and his wonderful family just yet, so let’s not pray for opposing hopes. Okay?
btw-being the non sequitur on this board, please – what is DT? The only one I know of is a result of long-term overindulgence in alcohol. LOL
Money is not always the solution. This is a valuable lesson for the church too.
http://www.matthewsblog.waynesborochurchofchrist.org
DT is Downtown church in Searcy AR. Let me clarify what the rumor is: Zoe Worship Conference coming to DT one of these days.
Rays Rays Rays!!!
“DT is Downtown church in Searcy AR. Let me clarify what the rumor is: Zoe Worship Conference coming to DT one of these days.”
Whew! Thanks, Annie. That’s a relief!!
Kathy,
I was hoping the rumor was more than a weekend visit but I can understand why you would be relieved. I would feel exactly the same way in your place.
Annie,
Thanks for clearing that up. I didn’t mean to give the wrong impression, I was just hopeful.
