Torre Gives Steinbrenner the Finger!

I know what you're thinking, this has nothing to do with Detroit sports. This is a site totally devoted to Detroit sports isn't it? Now you think I have some incredibly witty and interesting way of tying events in New York to Detroit. Well you are wrong...All of you.

The fact is I just couldn't let something like this go unwritten about. For almost forty years (if I'm doing my math right) George Steinbrenner has ruled the Yankees organization with an iron fist, overseeing the franchise's most successful years and having the monetary deficit to prove it. The boss has seen such names as Reggie Jackson, Billy Martin, Rickey Henderson, and Derek Jeter, pass through his organization and perform under his immense scrutiny. Never during the course of his historical ownership has any player, manager, or employee gotten the best of George. If you were on the Yankees it was because he wanted you, if you were not it was because he did not.

In New York no one is bigger than the Yankees, and in the Yankees organization no one is bigger than Steinbrenner (thus by the theory of reasoning we can deduce that no one person in New York is bigger than George Steinbrenner). However in a most drastic turn of events former Yankees manager Joe Torre, in turning down a monetarily loaded contract extension, actually walked away from the team with something that few of his predecessors had, dignity, honor, and (most importantly) fan support. Simply put Torre left on his own terms and he didn't give Steinbrenner the chance to drive him out of New York. He played his hand perfectly and didn't look back.

Never has George Steinbrenner lost a battle in such grand fashion. Torre seemed to be playing his part the entire time. He acted respectfully to the organization after a season full of criticism and employment termination threats, he politely entertained contract extension talks after the end of his post season run, then in most daring style walked out on Steinbrenner, told his true feelings about the Boss during a nationally covered press conference, and successfully portrayed himself as the victim in the matter, garnering support from all across the nation.

So what does this mean? I'm inclined to say that we are witnessing the end of the Steinbrenner era in New York. Perhaps George will pass the torch to his children, but the fire at the top of the Yankees organization will never be the same. There never has been nor will there ever be another owner quite like Steinbrenner. Even if you don't like the way he has conducted his business you cannot argue with the yielded results. Joe Torre exposed the weakness in the Yankees organization, now it is a glaring hole in on a team previously thought to be invincible.