Torre Says Contract Offer Was an Insult
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RYE BROOK — Joe Torre had a hunch it would come to this.
And when the New York Yankees offered him a one-year contract with a hefty paycut, performance-based bonuses — and no room to negotiate — he was insulted and figured he had no choice but to walk away.
“The fact that somebody is reducing your salary is just telling me they’re not satisfied with what you’re doing,” Torre said today at a news conference. “There really was no negotiation involved. I was hoping there would be, but there wasn’t.
“If somebody wants you to do a job, if it takes them two weeks to figure out, yeah, we want to do this, should do this, yeah, you’re a little suspicious.”
His voice trembling at times, Torre admitted he was uncomfortable and nervous talking about himself. He said his 12 years with the Yankees were the best time of his professional life — but he hasn’t ruled out managing elsewhere.
Torre took a morning flight yesterday to Tampa, Fla., walked into George Steinbrenner’s office at Legends Field and listened to the team’s offer. He said he couldn’t accept it, shook hands and left the ballpark, the Yankees’ manager no more.
“I offered a concept we may talk about,” Torre said. “I don’t want to go into Xs and Os here. More a concept that would work for both of us. It was term and how to go about it. But that was it. Money wasn’t involved in the suggestion.”
After all he had accomplished — four World Series titles, 12 straight years in the playoffs, almost certain entry into the Hall of Fame — and after all the indignities, this was one he wasn’t going to stand for.
“I was very much at peace with my decision,” Torre said.
The 67-year-old Torre turned down a $5 million, one-year contract — $2.5 million less than he made this season, when the Yankees failed to make it past the first round of the playoffs for the third straight year.
“A difficult day,” general manager Brian Cashman said yesterday. “He will always be a Yankee.”
Bench coach Don Mattingly is the leading contender to replace Torre. Yankees broadcaster Joe Girardi, the NL Manager of the Year with Florida in 2006, is another top contender. Tony La Russa and Bobby Valentine also could be considered.
