Monday, January 22, 2007

End of the Line for Bernie?

16 Season all with the Yanks. 10 AL East Titles. 6 AL Pennants. 4 World Series Titles.

Span of 8 consecutive seasons of batting .300 or more. 4-time Gold Glove Winner. AL Batting Champion in 1998.

Career #s: 2,336 Hits, 287 HRs, .297 Avg, .381 OBP.

Those numbers look good don't they? Question is, will they get added to or not? Will they get added to with him in Pinstripes?

As of right now, there is no room for Bernie. Most teams have done their deals, so the likelihood of Cabrera being moved prior to Spring Training seems very unlikely.

At the same time there are several ball clubs in need of a classy leader that can deliver some numbers for them. Does he wait it out and see if the Yanks give him a year extension and play part time again? Is his music career his passion now? Or does he sign a 2 to 3 year deal, get paid, go to a hitter friendly ball park and sure up his numbers for the Cooperstown debate?

Probably the latter, but it will be sad to see him not in the Bronx. From a fan's perspective, now realizing he may not be there this coming season, I realize what a luxury it has been to have Bernie as a player all these years as a Yankee.

9 comments:

old professor said...

The chances of Bernie returning to the Bronx are very slim at best. What seems to have closed the door on him is the Yankee decision to carry what amounts to three first basemen this coming season.

Giambi will be the DH with an occassional spin at first. The Yankees signed a free agent left handed hitting first baseman and have Phelps and Phillips on the roster as well.

Bernie's best shot would be as a non-roster invitee.

Anyone hear about the possibility of Yankee interest in Dustin Hermanson? I am also surprised at some of the names that remain unsigned. Mark Redman and Tony Armas Jr. Redman had a winning record though his ERA made Randy Johnson's look good. Armas used to be in the Yankee farm system, and is only 28 (never had a complete game in his career - that should make him fit the rotation perfectly).

Anonymous said...

Bern Baby Bern....a true Yankee and a true Champion.

I think he retires. He's made his $$$$ and the lure of his impending music career will be greater than finishing out his career in Milwaukee or someplace godforsaken like that.

Bernie never appeared to be one of those guys who "NEEDED" the game of baseball....although the Yankees certainly needed him.

If this is it for him, get the plaque ready..there's a spot after Joe D and Mickey that is reserved for him.

As for the Hall of Fame...ummmm...No.

old professor said...

Scooter,

I tend to agree that Bernie no longer needs the game, but he and his agent have indicated Bernie would like to play another two years - not likely and definately not likely if he thinks it is going to be in a Yankee uniform.

Just finished reading Steve Goldman's Pinstripe Blog and his take on a recent book that strongly indicates Joe Torre's skills as a manager are beginning to slip. And that his ability to maintain a calm clubhouse failed miserably with the issues surrounding A-Rod. Also looks at his inept handling of the bullpen. The article is a pretty serious criticism of Torre.

Anonymous said...

Torre's managerial skills slipping?

Are you crazy?

He has no skills to slip. Let's face the facts. Anybody could have occupied the managerial role the last 6 seasons and gotten the same results he did - let me repeat that - anybody.

When you're juggling the line up in the middle of 5 games series in the playoffs - you are lucky that you are not shown the door - and he WAS lucky.

Any other manager would have gotten the job done and taken hom 3 to 4 more WS titles, but with Torre NIL!

Anonymous said...

You know if it wasn't so sad, it would be funny....that the most silly and misinformed comments on most blogs (this one included) typically come from "anonymous". That's the inherant problem with the "blog world"...the fact that there is NO accountability.

Torre is a first ballot Hall of Famer for his Yankee managing career...for anyone to say differently is just ignorant.

Prof,

I tend to be one of those guys that equate any "slippage" in Torre's management skills to the lack of quality starting pitching that the Yankees have thrown out there the last couple of years.

Has he had a couple rough playoff series? YES....Is he still capable of managing a world champion? I believe so.

Crash said...

Torre is definitely going to the HOF as a manager when he retires. I do think he was very fortunate to have the teams he did when he won those championships. Those guys wanted to win, they expected to win..they were the true meaning of team. In recent times you see them overpaying for people that don't fit on that team. Torre did a pretty good job, for the most part, over the last several years. He just had difficult personalities in that club house to deal with. Just look at Parcels, he left Dallas simply because of TO. Bottom line...in any company, you want to create a good work environment with people who fit the culture. Shef, ARod and RJ didn't/don't fit. Torre has done pretty well all things considering.


Oh yeah...he doesn't know how to manage a pitching staff. I think the only managers that uses their bullpens more are Baker and LaRusa.

Anonymous said...

I agree Torre was fortunate to have guys like Brosius, O'Neil, Rivera and Tino....but sometimes being a great manager is knowing when to "get out of the way" and simply smooth over the media so they get behind your team.

I always get a little annoyed when people say that he can't handle a pitching staff...I mean we all know he absolutely killed Villone last year, but what were his options? Leave Johnson in to give up another 6 runs? Push Moose over his ever shrinking max pitch count?

Believe me, he had no other choice but to use Villone and Proctor so much....the other dude with the bad back...Farnsworth...what's his deal? I just thank the Lord that he didn't go to Karstens and Rasner.

old professor said...

Did I hit a raw nerve or what? All I wanted to do is point out the Steve Goldman Blog that is found on Yesnetwork.com. He reviewed a book that was written on Torre. The emphasis of the book was the slipage in his ability to manage. I was surprised that someone who writes regularly for Yankee Sports Entertainment would be agreeing with an author taking Torre to task and loosing touch with his players.

By the way, the off shoot of the story was the author does not believe Torre will survive the season. (The main premise - as you get older and farther away from the age of the players you are coaching, you loose touch with how to get them to play for you - Didn't TO just say that about Parcells?)

By the way Scooter, Anonymous is probably Grady Little.

Anonymous said...

Prof,

Thanks for turning me on to Goldman's blog...an interesting read but nothing much beyond that. Not a lot of insight....he based his entire argument on the fact that A-Rod didn't "fit in". When does A-Rod need to take a little responsibility? If Torre is "slipping" because he couldn't integrate A-Rod and Randy Johnson into the clubhouse then so be it.

As for his issues with Torre's handling of the pitching staff, my previous post stands.....He did what he could do with the options that were given him.

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