Who Will Replace Joe Torre?

Who Can Replace Joe Torre?

Joe Torre did it right. At least as a Manager of the New York Yankees he did. Torre did it right because he won right away. Then he won again, and again, and yet again. He also came very close a few times. That type of historic run engenders a fierce loyalty and a steadfast devotion in fans and management that is so strong, they will cut the guy a break even in hard times. That is what happened with Torre. He skippered that legendary 1998 Yankee team. He won three straight World Series and four out of five from 1996 to 2000. Because he won so much, the fans couldn't and wouldn't attack Torre.

But recently, things got a bit rockier for Joseph Paul Torre. Fans and management grumbled, not just about the seven year World Series drought, but because of the seemingly lackluster manner in which he manages the club. Even the announcers notice his oft-misuse of the bullpen. Worst of all, he seems to have lost his gut instincts. In Torre's early days, it seemed that every time he pinch hit, it worked out. Every questionable pitching change was resolved in the Yankees favor. Hell, the ball even seemed to be a Yankee fan, always bouncing in a direction that furthered the Bombers' interests.

But in recent years, since 2000 specifically, that has been changing. The mystique and aura of Yankee Stadium now seem like a pair of frightened and shriveled specters, hiding from the midday sun and the evening chill. Are they really gone?

Accordingly, the team made only a half-hearted effort to keep him on as manager, offering him a one year contract to manage the team in 2008, and at a steep cut in guaranteed pay. So, it now appears, the man is gone.

So, who will be Torre's successor as manager of the New York Yankees? Here are five candidates, with their resumes and their objective strengths and weaknesses.

Who Will Be the Yankees Next Manager?

1. Joe Girardi. Everyone is eager to crown him King based on what he did with the Marlins in 2006. He did take a team with a $16 million payroll to an 80-82 record. He also had seven of the Top 10 rookies in the National League. Girardi is a smart, no-nonsense manager who knows the game, has a history with the Yankees and is right up there in the YES announcer's booth. On the other hand, something happened with the Marlins' owership last year. Things got so bad that Florida management fired Girardi, even though he won the National League Manager of the Year. Joe also has a great relationship with the team and most of its players.

2. Don Mattingly. Donnie Baseball has made it clear that he wants to manage the New York Yankees. But he isn't in a hurry. As he told reporters on Tuesday, October 9, "I think I've made it pretty clear in some timetable that I would like an opportunity to manage. But I'm not worried about the timetable. I'm not worried about what happens to me at this time. I'm just not."

But Donnie's patience (and perhaps his reservations about putting his Yankee legend status on the line) won't stop nostalgia and George Steinbrenner from pushing him into the role. Mattingly would probably be better off in a scenario where someone else would hold the job for about two or three years and then hand it over to a better-prepared Donnie Baseball. But, if for some reason Girardi does not get the job, Don Mattingly's name will move immediately to the top of the list. Can he manage successfully?

3. Larry Bowa. If New York sacked Joe Torre mid-season, it might have been a good idea for them to employ an acting manager. Bowa, or Tony Pena, would have been ideal candidates for the job. Both have successful playing and managerial experience. Both are players' managers with notorious tempers that sometimes bind teams together and other times tears them to pieces. But while the Yankees might have been able to use that type of fire in their ALDS loss to the Cleveland Indians, starting out a new era with this type of manager may not be a great idea.

4. Tony Pena. For all the same reasons as Bowa. Jut as intense, a little bit less insane, and a manager who is too talented to be playing first base coach.

5. Tony LaRussa. That's right, Anthony LaRussa, Jr., Esquire. No matter what's been said in the past, the New York Yankees would love to have him. And no matter what's been said in the past, La Russa would cherish the opportunity to manage the Yankees. The chances of it happening are more likely than you might think. LaRussa is free to move to another team, and George Steinbrenner -- who wants to win now -- may want a veteran manager to lead his highly paid, highly talented club.

If LaRussa becomes a Yankee, look for Torre to return to St. Louis, and expect Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada to go with him. Wouldn't that be something?

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Joe Torre's Yankee Manager Career Summary and Highlights

Joe Torre's Playing Career

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