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Post by philinla on Mar 28, 2007 21:04:08 GMT -5
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Post by David Goodman on Mar 28, 2007 21:08:45 GMT -5
As long as the new leader doesn't try to exert control over Cashman.
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Post by philinla on Mar 28, 2007 21:14:24 GMT -5
I think Swindal will stay through the transition.
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bill2
Full Member
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Post by bill2 on Mar 28, 2007 21:42:54 GMT -5
The Cashman and Steinbrenner families go far back together...as in their fathers were partners in horse racing, etc (as I think I remember reading about the connection)
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Post by philinla on Mar 28, 2007 21:47:05 GMT -5
Yup. The relationship started in the stables of Kentucky.
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Post by pemoco on Mar 28, 2007 23:37:46 GMT -5
Divorce filing reopens question of Boss' successor By PETER ABRAHAM Gannett News Service
TAMPA, Fla. -- The question of who takes control of the Yankees when George Steinbrenner steps down has been reopened.
Steinbrenner's son-in-law and designated successor, Steve Swindal, has been sued for divorce. Jennifer Steinbrenner filed papers Tuesday in the Hillsborough County Circuit Court's family law department, citing "irreconcilable differences."
The divorce proceedings came 40 days after Swindal was arrested for driving under the influence and speeding in an unsavory section of St. Petersburg. Swindal is expected to lose his position as general partner.
"Steve and Jenny Swindal announced today that they are amicably ending their marriage of 23 years," family spokesman Howard Rubenstein said. "Although their marriage is dissolving, they remain friends and maintain a strong mutual respect. They are devoted to their two children and will make them their shared focus. This is obviously a family matter and they ask that the media respect their privacy."
Steinbrenner walked past reporters without comment Wednesday night when asked who his successor would be.
"George isn't going to have any comment," Rubenstein said.
Steinbrenner's two sons, Hank and Hal, previously have not exhibited much interest in the operation of the team. Hank Steinbrenner is a senior vice president and general partner, and Hal Steinbrenner a general partner. But both have spent more time at Legends Field this spring.
Another son-in-law, Felix Lopez, is a senior vice president of the team.
The Yankees are estimated to be worth $1 billion. Steinbrenner has controlled the team since 1973 when he led a group that purchased the club from CBS for $8.7 million.
Steinbrenner, 76, keeps office hours at Legends Field but has not been as active as in recent years, apparently because of a decline in his health. He spoke to reporters once this spring for a few seconds. Team officials have shielded him from the media since.
Swindal, 52, had become a greater voice in team affairs since being named Steinbrenner's successor in June 2005. He threw his support to general manager Brian Cashman in the power struggle between the team's executives in New York and Tampa, and he became close with manager Joe Torre.
Their relationship cooled last fall when Swindal supported the idea of firing Torre.
Swindal has not spoken to the media since Feb. 19. Asked then whether being arrested had changed his status on the team, Swindal said that he hoped not. He also refused to say whether Steinbrenner still considered him his successor.
"I can't answer that. That would be speculation," he said. "I can only address it in a family manner that he's certainly supportive of me."
Swindal pleaded not guilty to the charges and faces a pretrial hearing April 5 at South County Traffic Court in St. Petersburg.
Swindal also heads a group competing for the franchise to operate thoroughbred racing in New York. It is believed that undertaking is in danger considering Steinbrenner's role as an investor.
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Post by philinla on Mar 29, 2007 23:51:42 GMT -5
In a Shift, Younger and Cheaper Will Make the Roster www.nytimes.com/2007/03/30/sports/baseball/30yankees.html?ex=1332907200&en=6fbb01789f800f57&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rssBy TYLER KEPNER Published: March 30, 2007 DUNEDIN, Fla., March 29 — Sean Henn has no idea where the Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees open the season. He will drive to Pennsylvania if the Yankees send him there, making a gloomy two-day journey. Andy Phillips will likely be replaced by Josh Phelps as the Yankees’ backup first baseman. If Henn makes the major league roster, he said, he will pack up his car, ship it home and fly north with the team. He knows the Yankees open in the Bronx on Monday, and Henn plans to live with his cousin in Newburgh, N.Y. “He calls me every day trying to get some information out of me, but I don’t have any,” said Henn, a left-handed reliever who has never made an opening-day roster. “I’m like, ‘I’ll let you know.’ Everybody’s trying to call and figure it out.” Manager Joe Torre will reveal the answers on Friday, and it is almost certain that Henn will make the team over the veteran Ron Villone. Two other position battles are also expected to be won by the younger competitor, with Wil Nieves likely to beat out Todd Pratt for the backup catcher role and Josh Phelps replacing Andy Phillips as the backup first baseman. “Tomorrow will be a busy day,” Torre told reporters on Thursday before the Yankees’ 6-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. “If I’m going to tell you guys, I certainly have to inform the players first.” The additions of Henn, Nieves and Phelps represent a subtle organizational shift. Villone, Pratt and Phillips all fit the classic Torre profile because of their experience. But General Manager Brian Cashman wants to make the team younger and cheaper, and Torre is on board with that. Beyond the philosophical reasons, Henn and Phelps, especially, have far outperformed their competition. Villone signed a non-guaranteed contract that calls for him to earn $2.5 million if he makes the opening-day roster. Because he costs so much more than the rookie Henn, Villone had to pitch better than Henn to make the roster. Instead, he has pitched worse, with a 14.40 earned run average. In nine games, opponents have batted .520. Henn has a 3.00 E.R.A. and a .182 opponents’ average. Torre values Villone’s contribution from last season, when he followed a poor spring with a solid few months. But after allowing a walk and two hits on Wednesday, Villone dismissed the idea that Torre’s trust could help him now. “That’s great,” Villone said, “but I’m not performing, and I’m not happy about it.” Phillips did not play on Wednesday and was benched on Thursday in favor of Phelps. Phillips missed the first 10 days of exhibition games because his mother was injured in a serious car accident, and he never gained his timing, hitting .182. “He had to play some catch-up,” said the hitting coach Kevin Long. “He’s finally getting some at-bats where he’s comfortable, but it’s just unfortunate the way things happened for him.” In some ways, Phillips was fighting a losing battle despite his familiarity to Torre. The Yankees tried to upgrade last July when they traded for Craig Wilson, and tried again at the winter meetings last December, when they plucked Phelps from Baltimore in the Rule 5 draft. Phelps is a year younger than Phillips, who turns 30 next week, and he has 210 more games of major league experience, with a better career average (.268 to .228) and more power. Playing last season at Class AAA Toledo in the Detroit farm system, Phelps batted .308 with 24 homers and 90 runs batted in. “He was in our league last year, and he tore it up,” said Long, who worked then for the Yankees’ Class AAA team. Phelps is batting .400 with 3 homers and 10 R.B.I. He has three seasons in the majors with at least 15 homers. After playing for Tampa Bay in 2005, he did not receive a call-up by the Tigers last season. “Last year, I had good spring numbers, too,” Phelps said. “The difference is, this spring there’s been a genuine opportunity.” Nieves, 29, is a .288 career hitter in the minors and has spent the last two seasons with the Yankees’ Class AAA team. He is eager for his first hit in the majors since 2002. “I can’t wait — I’m going to keep the ball,” said Nieves, who, like Pratt, has hit under .200 this spring. “It’s going to be a great feeling. Just being on this team is a blessing.” Pratt, 40, has 14 years in the majors and has no plans to play in the minors. Neither does Nieves, at least in the Yankees’ system. He is out of minor league options and said he would probably try to sign with another organization rather than play for Scranton. But, like Henn, Nieves is not focusing on that. “All my career, I think positive until something else happens,” Nieves said. “Right now, in my mind and in my heart, I think something good is going to happen.” Like Phelps and Henn, he has reason to be optimistic. INSIDE PITCH The Yankees said Cory Lidle’s widow, Melanie, and son, Christopher, will make the ceremonial first pitch on opening day Monday. Lidle’s parents and brother will also attend the game
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Post by philinla on Mar 30, 2007 10:19:17 GMT -5
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Post by philinla on Mar 30, 2007 17:49:54 GMT -5
Infielders (7) Miguel Cairo Robinson Cano Jason Giambi Derek Jeter Doug Mientkiewicz Josh Phelps Alex Rodriguez
Outfielders (4) Bobby Abreu Melky Cabrera Johnny Damon Hideki Matsui
Catchers (2) Wil Nieves Jorge Posada
Starting pitchers (5) LHP Kei Igawa RHP Mike Mussina RHP Carl Pavano LHP Andy Pettitte RHP Darrell Rasner
Relief pitchers (7) RHP Brian Bruney RHP Kyle Farnsworth LHP Sean Henn LHP Mike Myers RHP Scott Proctor RHP Mariano Rivera RHP Luis Vizcaino
Manager Joe Torre
Coaches Larry Bowa Ron Guidry Joe Kerrigan Kevin Long Don Mattingly Rich Monteleone Tony Pena Rob Thomson
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Post by philinla on Apr 1, 2007 1:05:55 GMT -5
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Post by philinla on Apr 1, 2007 16:25:38 GMT -5
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chaka
Junior Member
Posts: 60
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Post by chaka on Apr 1, 2007 17:49:27 GMT -5
jeff franceour? not exactly building a moneyball team
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Post by philinla on Apr 1, 2007 17:58:28 GMT -5
He'll never be a Yankee. Urena will be the CF after Damon...
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bill2
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Post by bill2 on Apr 1, 2007 20:52:08 GMT -5
Thanks again Phil. Cano to third? My first reaction was to reflect on what a good move it was to get Bowa. Worry a little bit about so many new folks in new positions when the young pitchers first come up in 2008. But, by and large we have a good future and Cash is not done yet
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Post by philinla on Apr 1, 2007 22:07:42 GMT -5
I don't think ARod is leaving, so I don't see Cano moving to third.
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Post by pemoco on Apr 1, 2007 23:32:30 GMT -5
quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079Yankees' Depth May Be More Important in Dugout Than Owner's Box By Curtis Eichelberger and Larry DiTore April 2 (Bloomberg) -- The New York Yankees' lineup of players when they start the season today is likely to be more important than the depth in the owner's box. George Steinbrenner, 76, whose Major League Baseball team has won six of its 26 championships since he took control in 1973, may soon be without his anointed successor, son-in-law Steve Swindal. Daughter Jennifer Steinbrenner filed for a divorce from Swindal last week. The team, once known as much for Steinbrenner's temper as its ability to win championships, now has a steady management structure able to withstand a change at the top, said Steve Phillips, who was general manager of the New York Mets when they lost the 2000 World Series to the Yankees. ``I don't think this is a devastating blow by any means,'' Phillips, now an analyst for ESPN, said in a telephone interview. ``Where things were unstable for a long time during Steinbrenner's tenure, stability has been the turning point for them over the last 12 years.'' Steinbrenner has gone through 15 different managers, yet has kept Joe Torre in charge for the past 11 seasons, even after calling last year's first-round playoff loss to the Detroit Tigers a ``sad failure.'' Brian Cashman has been general manager since 1998 and helped put together three championship teams. He's under contract through the 2008 season, and this year is fielding a team with home-grown All-Stars such as Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano. Playoffs The result was a postseason appearance every year, with the Yankees favored by Las Vegas oddsmakers to win the 2007 title. Steinbrenner's willingness to delegate more in recent years helps insulate the team from the family's crisis, said David Berri, an associate professor of economics at California State University at Bakersfield. ``When you're firing your manager every other year, that suggests that you're not really thinking through this very well,'' Berri said. Steinbrenner is still in charge, and when he finally decides to step down, it'll be another Steinbrenner taking his place, said family spokesman Howard Rubenstein. ``George is the boss,'' Rubenstein said. ``He'll continue to be the boss, make no mistake about it. And he said the family will be running the Yankees.'' Successor Steinbrenner said Swindal would be his eventual successor in 2005 during a press conference to announce plans for the new Yankee Stadium, scheduled to open in 2009 at a price of $955 million. Steinbrenner's daughter Jennifer, 47, and Swindal, 52, had been married 23 years. Rubenstein said Swindal, a general partner since 1998, hasn't been fired as chairman of Yankees Global Enterprises LLC, the company that owns the Yankees baseball franchise and the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network. Rubenstein said no family members would comment, and no announcements are planned. Another former son-in-law, Joseph Molloy, was a general partner when he and Steinbrenner's daughter Jessica divorced. Molloy now is an assistant principal at Sligh Middle School in Tampa, Florida. Molloy didn't return a call seeking comment. Jessica, 43, now is married to Felix Lopez Jr., a senior vice president, whom she met while he was doing construction on her home, according to a report in the New York Times. Steinbrenner has two sons: Hal, 38, who has worked in the family's real estate and hotel businesses; and Hank, 49, who has worked on the family horse farm in Ocala, Florida. Still Chairman Succession came up most recently in October, when Steinbrenner had to be taken to a hospital while watching his granddaughter play the lead role in the musical ``Cabaret'' at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He stayed overnight for observation and was released the next day. In 2003, he fainted at a memorial service for former National Football League quarterback Otto Graham. Rubenstein said Steinbrenner's health now is ``robust,'' though he needs help on stairs because of a bad knee. He'll be at today's game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, when Carl Pavano will be the starting pitcher for New York. 2007 Yankees The Yankees are returning much of the lineup that scored a major-league best 930 runs last year. The biggest changes are to the pitching staff: In addition to Pavano, who missed all of 2006 because of injury, the team brought back Andy Pettitte, a one-time Yankees starter who pitched for the Houston Astros for three seasons. Mike Mussina returns, as will 19-game winner Chien-Ming Wang when he recovers from a hamstring injury. Kei Igawa, who joined the Yankees from Japan's Hanshin Tigers, is scheduled to be in the starting rotation. Marty Appel, who started working for the Yankees in 1968 and left as public relations director in 1977, said Steinbrenner has made sure the franchise would thrive no matter who is running it. ``He has great people in high positions, and the team can function successfully,'' Appel said. ``He's been a strong leader for so long. In absentia, everyone knows the drill.''
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Post by philinla on Apr 2, 2007 1:24:51 GMT -5
Jeeze they had one guy busted down from general partner in the Yankees to assistant principal!
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Post by philinla on Apr 2, 2007 2:18:18 GMT -5
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bill2
Full Member
Posts: 123
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Post by bill2 on Apr 2, 2007 8:30:37 GMT -5
Phil. I agree its most likely. Just struck me that if it doesn't work out its not a good thing, but the sky will not fall in. Joel Sherman's article in today's NY Post has two interesting things I had not read about ARod too often in the past. One was speculation about a change in his approach at the plate...which was speculative but thought provoking. The other was about his employment of a personal media person who apparently annoys the print media...probably as per usual with them, by restricting access or demonstrating that access depends on coverage fairness. Not the usual immediately forgetable ARod stuff, imho.
Game day!!!
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Post by philinla on Apr 2, 2007 9:36:52 GMT -5
ARod mentioned that he was not "taking his walks" when he was talking about his playoff performances, so that makes me thing he's gonna be more selective this year. In the past he has had seasons where he's walked a lot.
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Post by pemoco on Apr 2, 2007 11:00:57 GMT -5
ARod mentioned that he was not "taking his walks" when he was talking about his playoff performances, so that makes me thing he's gonna be more selective this year. In the past he has had seasons where he's walked a lot. As last season wore on there were plenty of AB's where you could tell there was no way he was going to keep the bat on his shoulder. I don't think it's as much that he lost his eye as his patience evaporated under the scrutiny of his "below average" season.
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Post by philinla on Apr 2, 2007 11:06:54 GMT -5
I just checked and he walked 90X last year. That's outstanding, though he should walk even more for all the crap they throw him.
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Post by philinla on Apr 2, 2007 15:27:56 GMT -5
1-0
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Post by garyfl on Apr 3, 2007 12:52:42 GMT -5
Rodriguez has a happy zone waist down middle out. If he can increase the size of his happy zone we'll all be happy. But in ST he was still get beat badly by anything belt or above.
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Post by David Goodman on Apr 3, 2007 21:00:42 GMT -5
Rodriguez has a happy zone waist down middle out. If he can increase the size of his happy zone we'll all be happy. But in ST he was still get beat badly by anything belt or above. That's not what I say. He hit a monster shot on a letter high fastball in one game I watched.
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Post by garyfl on Apr 4, 2007 15:56:51 GMT -5
You're saying that the Home Run he hit on Monday was a letter high fastball?
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Post by garyfl on Apr 4, 2007 15:57:15 GMT -5
Oops sorry I read that wrong. My bad.
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Post by michael123 on Apr 7, 2007 20:27:08 GMT -5
Cash has us going in the right direction for sure. I would not mind seeing him being given an even bigger role. I foresee more Cash esque moves as the season and seasons go by as he will make us younger and faster via trades and sign key free agents. No longer will you see Randy Johnson type deals which is fine by me.
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Post by pemoco on Apr 14, 2007 11:22:58 GMT -5
Unseen Boss: Steinbrenner's grip on pinstripes loosens
By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer Saturday, April 14, 2007 7:44 AM MST
NEW YORK (AP) -- George Steinbrenner's grip on the New York Yankees is looser now. That's easy to see, the moment you walk into his ballpark.
Down in the dugout, Joe Torre remains as manager after six straight seasons without a World Series title. Gary Sheffield, a longtime favorite personally recruited by the owner in 2003, is gone, dealt to Detroit.
And then there are the little things, the absence of that maniacal attention to detail.
Early one morning at Legends Field, the team's spring training home in Tampa, Fla., trash was overflowing a garbage can that usually had been cleaned each night. One afternoon after workouts, baseballs were scattered randomly across the floor of the indoor batting cage, the one where Steinbrenner had once scolded players for leaving bubble gum wrappers on the ground.
There was the morning Daylight Savings Time began. The scoreboard clock remained unchanged, one hour behind almost until the time the gates opened. And at least twice this year, the advertising boards outside the ballpark had typos in their messages.
"It's different," Jason Giambi said. "We kind of miss not seeing him around."
Steinbrenner's ship isn't as tight as it used to be. He used to supervise everything from traffic to ticket sales. Not anymore. Slowed by a bad knee, he doesn't get around his own ballpark much these days.
The Boss, his perfectly combed hair now mostly white, doesn't even drive his own golf cart around the complex. Instead, he's chauffeured by an underling. Famous for his fastidiousness and a Patton-like bluster that dominated the back and front pages of New York newspapers for three decades, his voice is seldom heard.
Instead, it's filtered through his spokesman.
No longer an omnipresent leader, he's a specter in his own empire, fading from public view like a weathered mural. "I'm going to make sure that's all cleaned up," Steinbrenner said through spokesman Howard Rubenstein when told about some cleanliness issues. "Don't blame my knees, but I'll make sure that's taken care of."
Steinbrenner, who plans to attend Monday's season opener at Yankee Stadium, answered a series of questions this week put to him through Rubenstein.
"We should be good this year. It's a strong team and if we can avoid injuries, stay healthy, I'm hopeful that we can bring in a championship," Steinbrenner said. "In my opinion, we really have to perform well for the fans. We're selling more tickets than ever before. We're more popular than ever before, and we really have to win. We've got to stay sound. We've got to stay healthy. We have great trainers and the ability to help them stay healthy."
On the one day in spring training that he responded to reporters as he walked from an elevator to the clubhouse wearing a windbreaker that seems to be permanently attached, his answers were clipped. No state-of-the-Yankees pronouncements. No ridicule for players who failed, no praise for pinstriped success. At 76, he's Boss Lite, no longer a storm, not even a squall.
Brian Cashman, the general manager, appears to have near total autonomy on baseball decisions. Team president Randy Levine and chief operating officer Lonn Trost take care of the business end.
"He's letting the guys do their own thing now," said Mickey Rivers, a Yankees star of the 1970s who is now a spring training instructor. "He has a lot of people that really know what they're doing. It gives a lot of people the opportunity and the chance to go out there and do the little things right for everybody and be successful."
Sheffield views the situation differently. Just before he was traded in November, Sheffield wanted to speak with Steinbrenner.
"If it wasn't for his health, I'd have made that conversation happen, but my situation ain't worth that to me," Sheffield said.
Unable to reach him by telephone, Sheffield went to Steinbrenner's favorite pancake restaurant near Legends Field.
"I didn't wait for him there, but I did go to eat there that day because I know that's one of his spots, and I was hoping to run into him," Sheffield said.
Two years ago, Steinbrenner made it a point to welcome Randy Johnson on his first day with the Yankees. Even last year, Steinbrenner was railing to reporters against the World Baseball Classic.
But this spring, after he fainted for the second time in three years, he hasn't been visible in the clubhouse since Torre's opening-day staff meeting in February. He looked pale that day and his longest reply to reporters was five words.
Since then, in the few times he ventured downstairs from his office to Max's Cafe, he has not spoken with the media.
Last September, Steinbrenner denied persistent rumors that his health has deteriorated.
"No, I did not have a stroke. I am not ill. I work out daily," he said. "I still talk to Cashman every day. I talk to Torre a lot. I still offer my opinion. They still listen quite a bit."
Cashman says he hears from Steinbrenner on a daily -- sometimes hourly -- basis, and that the owner's role with the team hasn't changed.
When the New York Daily News reported last October that Steinbrenner wanted to replace Torre with Lou Piniella following the team's first-round playoff loss to Detroit, Cashman was among those who persuaded the owner not to make a move.
Torre has held the job since November 1995, when he took over in the 20th manager change under Steinbrenner. The team won four World Series titles in his first five seasons -- one shy of the level that's acceptable for Steinbrenner -- but has none since. Despite nine straight AL East championships, the Yankees haven't reached the World Series since 2003.
"I'm certainly glad that he's back with us this year," Steinbrenner said. "He understands what we need."
The Boss of old would have booted Torre, but not the more mellow Steinbrenner of today. He's morphed from instigator to statesman.
"It really is different. He was such a main part of spring training," Torre said. "Even though he was a main part of the season, he always did it at a distance. In spring training, I've got to say one thing, it's exciting when he walked into your office. You never knew what was going to happen. ... He put the stress on you and all that stuff. He was so in tune with everything."
His detached ways filter down even to the look of the team. With son-in-law Stephen Swindal having ultimate approval on many matters -- that appears likely to change after Jennifer Steinbrenner filed divorce papers this week -- the Yankees have ceased fighting Major League Baseball on many matters. Long a baseball outcast, the Yankees went along when MLB ordered a new look to batting practice jerseys and caps -- with white piping.
Derek Jeter said the caps were "terrible."
"I agree with the captain," Steinbrenner said through Rubenstein. "They look cheesy."
AP Sports Writer Larry Lage, Associated Press writer Pat Milton and AP freelance writer Mark Didtler contributed to this report.
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Post by jumbo on Apr 16, 2007 23:50:08 GMT -5
April 17, 2007 On Baseball The Start Has Been Tough, and Steinbrenner Hasn’t By MURRAY CHASS
Here is another sign that George Steinbrenner is no longer the tempestuous owner he once was: Marty Miller and Dana Cavalea have yet to be booted out the door at Yankee Stadium and dispatched to an unemployment line in the Bronx.
Miller and Cavalea are in charge of the strength and conditioning program for the highly paid Yankees players. On the job for less than a month of the regular season, the two men have watched the Yankees accumulate more injuries than some teams do in, say, half a season.
Miller and Cavalea remain on the job if for no other reason than Brian Cashman appointed them. He is the general manager who has been handed greater control over the Yankees’ operation than any of the multitude of his predecessors in the Steinbrenner regime. Cashman wanted it that way, and he understood the perils of being in such a position of authority.
The question is whether Steinbrenner can still summon enough anger to jettison Cashman if he feels his trust is misguided and misplaced. Had a general manager in the first 30 years or so of Steinbrenner’s reign made the move that Cashman did, and had similar results, he might already be gone, along with the offending new strength coaches.
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It is possible, of course, that Steinbrenner does not know the full extent of the early-season injuries, that three-fifths of his starting pitching rotation (four-sixths if you count the first replacement) are on the disabled list. And the season is only two weeks old. Two-thirds of the outfield has also been afflicted, with Johnny Damon missing a few games with a strained calf muscle and Hideki Matsui taking an early turn on the D.L. with a strained hamstring.
Now, none of these injuries — which also include Chien-Ming Wang’s bad hamstring, Mike Mussina’s bad hamstring, Carl Pavano’s forearm stiffness and Jeff Karstens’s elbow stiffness — may be the result of the team’s new strength and conditioning program. But years ago, that never stopped the old Steinbrenner from acting like the old Steinbrenner.
In 1984, for example, Dave Righetti, the Yankees’ left-handed closer, cut his left index finger on the bullpen water cooler and went on the disabled list for 15 days. The day after the mishap, Jerry McNertney, the bullpen coach, was banished to the minor leagues.
The Yankees have new strength and conditioning coaches because Cashman fired Jeff Mangold, who had held the job since 1998. This act has become tiresome for the 52-year-old Mangold. He had previously held the job for five seasons, from 1984 through 1988, was let go because the Yankees felt they had endured too many injuries, then was brought back. Now he’s gone again.
Mangold learned shortly after last season that he wouldn’t be back this season, but he has not talked about the reason and declined to do so yesterday.
“They just felt it was time for a change,” Mangold said in a telephone interview from his home in Oakland, N.J.
“I just wasn’t rehired. I don’t want to get into it. It doesn’t make sense for me to. It was their decision to make, and I have to move on from there.”
Cashman didn’t want to talk about the change, either.
“I made the decision,” he said, “but I don’t want to speak to the reason in fairness to everyone involved, the people who are here and those who aren’t.”
Cashman didn’t say it, but he and his aides apparently felt that the Yankees had encountered a lot of injuries in recent seasons and they didn’t feel that Mangold had been as focused on his job as much as he should have been.
As for Miller, a 34-year-old native of Niagara Falls, N.Y., he was not allowed to address his new job yesterday because, the Yankees said, Cashman doesn’t permit him to speak to reporters.
Miller does have a title, director of performance enhancement, that is appropriate for his new-wave type of conditioning, but not all of the players have adapted to his approach.
Some players, in fact, have their own trainers and follow the methods those trainers employ. Considering the salaries that players are paid these days, the teams would seem to have reason to expect that their conditioning regimen would be adhered to by the players. But that’s a matter for the clubs and the union to debate.
Mangold wouldn’t talk about Miller and his methods. When the conversation turned to the recent rash of injuries, Mangold said, “I don’t want to express my thoughts publicly on what has happened.”
Given the spate of injuries, especially to the four starting pitchers, Mangold could have said a lot but didn’t. But here’s what he could have noted: The major leagues, according to records compiled by the commissioner’s office, have 20 starting pitchers on the disabled list.
The Yankees represent 20 percent of that number. No other team has more than two starting pitchers disabled.
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But Mangold didn’t say any of that. Those are my words and my research. Cashman said yesterday that injuries were up this year and that on opening day, the disabled list had a population 30 percent greater than a year ago and 30 percent greater than the average number over the past four years.
But only the Yankees have four starting pitchers on the disabled list.
Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company
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