Replacing Torre: The bench coach is the key
The Yankees have started the process of replacing Joe Torre, whose 12-year run as manager was the equivalent of a lifetime as manager under George’s stewardship - and understandably so, as it was also the most successful twelve years of George’s stewardship. For anyone who forget, “all” Torre did was lead them to the postseason *every* year, to the World Series half the time (6 of 12), and to a WS title four times. It’s fair to say he’s going to Cooperstown now as a manager - and perhaps should be considered a legend.
You’ve all heard the saying, “You don’t want to be the guy who replaced the legend. You want to be the guy who replaced the guy, who replaced the legend.” Sure, pro sports are littered with examples of these - but so too are American game shows, with varying degrees of success, to wit:
Anyone seen “The Price is Right” since Drew Carey took over after 35 years of Bob Barker? Painful. Hey, I like Drew Carey. I liked ”The Drew Carey Show” and I liked “Whose Line is It Anyway?” (although the original British version with Clive Anderson was even funnier). But for his latest gig… he’s as exciting as Al Gore on valium. The only question in my mind is whether or not he lasts as long as Stump Merrill did as Yankees manager.
Richard Dawson committed sexual harassment on a daily basis, and in full public view, and its a big part of what made “The Family Feud” the success it was. Then Ray Coombs tried to step in, and could never repeat the run that Dawson produced. Coombs tried to go into film, appearing as local law enforcement in the Hawn-Russell vehicle, “Overboard” - but his acting career fell short of even his hosting career. Course, by the time they brought Dawson back to replace Coombs ten years after his first run ended, the magic was gone - lesson for anybody who thinks Torre should return to the Yankees at some point to recapture the magic. Didn’t work with Dawson, just like it didn’t work with Billy Martin - once the first run ends, that’s it.
Game show giant Chuck Woolery is well-known as the host of such favorites as “Love Connection”, “Scrabble”, “Greed”, and “Lingo” - but he made his mark on “Wheel of Fortune”. He’s the one who nurtured the Hangman knock-off into the nationwide craze it became, but then unhappy with what he perceived to be an insulting contract offer (sound familiar?), he walked… and was replaced by Pat Sajak. Over 25 years later, Sajak is still going strong. Sure, he made an ill-advised foray into late night talk show - creating a short-lived talk show that rivaled “The Chevy Chase” show in its ineptitude… until returning to what he knew: Riding Vanna White’s coattails. Let’s keep it real, folks… Sajak isn’t successful without Vanna.
And perhaps that’s the lesson here for whoever replaces Torre. Its okay to be the guy who replaced the legend, as long as you have a hot chick sitting next to you. In conclusion, whether its Girardi, or Mattingly, or someone else entirely… the new guy just needs to hire Jessica Alba as his bench coach to sit next to him. And only then, like Sajak, can he hope to find success as the guy who replaced the legend.
October 23rd, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Popular opinion is running heavily against the Yankees for their poisoned chalice of a contract offered to Torre. I gotta say, though, offering to keep him the highest paid manager in the game by a wide margin, even though its been years since his teams have won anything, doesnt strike me as inherently insulting. New York is full of people who came to this country with nothing but the shirt on their backs, seeking nothing more than a chance to work seven days a week in shitty conditions for shitty pay. If this New York native is really that insulted by an offer of $5 million just for showing up to work, and up to $3 million more if he actually won anything, then let me just say I guess I like Joe Torre a lot less than I thought I did.
October 23rd, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Don’t you get the feeling that the Yankees gave Torre the perfect retirement gift? They waited a week to… as you note, offer him a contract that still keeps him the highest-paid manager in the game. So he can talk about trust and respect and whatever else he said in his press conference, and as George and Jerry once discussed on “Seinfeld”, he gets to leave on a high note.
The only thing better for him would’ve been to announce before the season that the coming season was his final season and his boys win the WS. Even if he walked away after winning a WS, there would be whispers about why - if he hadn’t announced his lame duck status (or “win one for Joe in his last hurrah” status, if you prefer).
This way, he leaves looking like the hero. He owes George and his sons a hearty thank you.