An Interview With Torre

With the Mets in LA taking on the Dodgers Adam Rubin of Surfing The Mets sat down with the former Yankees manager and asked him some questions. Here are the Yankee related questions:

Paying attention to the Yankees:

“I pay attention to all the teams. I left New York. It was time for me to go. And I’m sure the people there felt the same way. But it doesn’t mean you stop paying attention to the players you managed and the friends you made and all that stuff. When ‘Jorgie’ (Posada) went on the DL, I called him. He called back. You care about people. That’s what it is for me.”

Talk to Joe Girardi?

“I’ve talked to him during the season a couple of times. He’s going to get better. And when I say that, it doesn’t mean he’s not a good manager now. He’s very intelligent. He’s got a feel for the game. New York is unlike any other experience you’re ever going to have. There’s no question. There’s a certain adjustment to that. But as far as I’m concerned, Joe Girardi is a good choice for Brian Cashman. In saying that, Don Mattingly obviously was one of my coaches. I felt badly that he didn’t get the chance over there, but you certainly had to understand why Girardi got it.”

What about Brian Cashman, who stuck to his guns about keeping his young pitchers rather than acquiring Johan Santana?

“I’ve got so many decisions over here, I really can’t empathize with other people. I’d like to save all that feeling for people for myself right now. But that’s a tough place to be. There’s no question. You have to make decisions, and there’s no guarantee you make the right one. And when you do make the right one, it may not appear like it’s the right one until it’s over with.”

What did you mean by ‘different feel’ in L.A. vs. New York?

“It’s a little more laid back. In saying that, it doesn’t mean you don’t have the hunger to win. I certainly would have a problem with that. Right now, and I say right now, baseball is in the sports section. That’s a nice change.”

What about George Steinbrenner’s second-guessing?

“That never bothered me. It really didn’t. Toward the end stuff that happened I thought was unnecessary, but that other stuff - again, you talk about stimulating. You worked for George it was stimulating. But he only wanted to win. I had a good relationship with him. I’m not saying we didn’t disagree or have an argument during the time I was there, but in the time I was there I guarantee you I called him probably two to three more often than he called me.”

You can tell how happy he is to be out of New York, and I don't know about you guys, but I'm pulling for Torre and the Dodgers this year. I'd really like to see him do well, and watching them win 10 of their last 11 after that slow start was nice to see. After all he was a great Yankee manager regardless of what some fans think.