MINNEAPOLIS – After offering to help his pathetic club escape from its deepening rut and hearing from Joe Torre that everybody is underperforming, George Steinbrenner placed the chore of turning the Yankees around on Torre and GM Brian Cashman.
Yesterday, PR guru Howard Rubenstein released a statement from The Boss about Friday’s 30-minute conference call that included Steinbrenner, Torre, Cashman and club president Randy Levine.
Even though Torre said “not necessarily” when asked if Steinbrenner were supportive, Rubenstein said The Boss offered to help.
According to Rubenstein, Steinbrenner asked Torre and Cashman what was needed to improve a $200 million investment that was an embarrassing 27-27 going into last night’s game against the Twins and riding a season-high six-game losing streak.
“George offered to do anything they needed to get back on winning ways,” Rubenstein explained. “Torre said, ‘You’ve given us everything we need. We don’t need anything more. It’s up to the two of us to win.’ ”
Steinbrenner, who routinely lays it on Torre and Cashman when things go south, accepted Torre taking responsibility.
“George was very concerned, but calm,” Rubenstein said. “He didn’t show anger, but his fighting spirit is there, and he wants to win for New York fans. He feels we’re letting them down, but it’s really in Torre’s and Cashman’s hands right now.”
It was nice of Steinbrenner to offer help. However, there is very little The Boss, Torre or Cashman can do at the moment, since the trading market isn’t open just yet. And since the Yankees pay $60 million in revenue sharing and $30 million in luxury tax, taking on more money without moving some of their bad contracts is a burden.
Ultimately, it’s up to Steinbrenner’s high-priced stable of talent to stop the losing. And The Boss has to take some of the heat for the misery, since he had to have Randy Johnson and Jaret Wright instead of Carlos Beltran.
Considering Johnson is 5-4 and hasn’t dominated the way he can, the often-injured Wright has been on the DL since April 23 with a right shoulder problem and Bernie Williams and Hideki Matsui are struggling in center, Beltran would have been a better fit.
Steinbrenner isn’t going to fire Torre, who is in the first year of a three-year deal worth $19.2 million. Cashman, whose contract ends in November, could take a hit but two weeks ago Steve Swindal, a Yankees general partner and Steinbrenner’s son-in-law, said the club wanted Cashman back and looked forward to getting a long-term deal done.
The first area Steinbrenner normally addresses is the coaching staff. Hitting coach Don Mattingly, despite the Yankees batting .211 (42-for-199) during the six losses, is safe because Yankee fans would revolt if Mattingly were boxed. Steinbrenner hinted at making a change with Mel Stottlemyre in early May, but that’s not likely to happen. Nor is bench coach Joe Girardi going anywhere.
What could happen is first base coach Roy White and/or third base coach Luis Sojo might feel Steinbrenner’s ax. White is in charge of the outfielders and baserunning and Sojo the infielders. None of the three areas have been stellar lately.
Torre said he didn’t have to defend his coaches to Steinbrenner Friday, but the losing streak was at five games and the Yankees hadn’t yet lost 6-3 to the Twins, who were without three regulars.
“For me, it’s really embarrassing,” Jorge Posada said after the Yankees flushed a 3-0 lead Friday night. “That’s all I can say.”
