MINNEAPOLIS – With whispers floating through the Yankees’ universe about George Steinbrenner saying he never left the final decision on Jose Contreras’ destination up to Joe Torre, the manager insisted there was no doubt about whose call it was to designate the struggling pitcher.
At least until Sunday morning, when Contreras’ destination changed from Columbus to Tampa after Steinbrenner agreed with embattled pitching guru Billy Connors that Contreras would benefit by working on his mechanics in Tampa working on mechanics before reporting to Columbus.
“No,” Torre said when asked if there could have been a communication problem between him and Steinbrenner last Thursday that led to the Contreras crisis. “Black is black and white is as white as can be. There was no gray area at all in the conversation we had.”
Torre and Mel Stottlemyre wanted Contreras in Columbus’ (Triple-A) rotation and pitching every fifth day to re-establish a fastball that vanished in the latter days of spring training. Torre told Contreras that he was headed there Saturday only to have GM Brian Cashman tell Torre Sunday that Contreras, a $32 million investment, was bound for Tampa.
“We optioned [Contreras] to Columbus Saturday morning and at 9:30 p.m. Gordon Blakeley called and he said he was taking him from Columbus to Tampa,” Cashman said yesterday.
Blakeley replaced Mark Newman as the player development head in January. And while his fingerprints are on the move, it’s Steinbrenner agreeing with Connors that caused the latest spat between Yankee operations in Tampa and New York.
While Torre and Cashman didn’t name him, the blame for the change is being levied at Connors, who is in charge of the minor-league pitching program. Connors talked to Steinbrenner after The Boss talked with Torre, and that’s when Contreras’ itinerary changed.
Torre said he had cooled down from Sunday but wasn’t ready to sweep the issue under the rug. Despite sources saying he and Steinbrenner talked Sunday night, Torre said after yesterday’s 15-1 win over the Twins that he hadn’t heard from “anybody in Tampa.”
“I talked to him Sunday but I wouldn’t want to comment on what was said,” Cashman said of Steinbrenner.
Asked if the Contreras Affair needed to be discussed.
“I don’t know, I am honestly telling you I don’t know,” Torre said. “I am over it, but you can’t pretend it never happened.”
Torre says the situation won’t impact his job of managing a team that is on cruise control these days after sweeping four games from the defending AL Central champion Twins.
“I have a job to do here and I will do the best I can,” said Torre, whose club has won five straight and at 16-3 is off to the best start in team history. “You say what’s on your mind and try not to let anything fester.”
