TAMPA — This is a story told previously in this space, so apologies in advance. It is just that I think it is so valuable as an annual reminder — notably to myself — of how illusory this time of year can be.
This was 1996, the first year the Yankees did spring training at what is now Steinbrenner Field and the first managed by Joe Torre. At that point, Torre was viewed as among the great losers in MLB history. He had never made the playoffs in 2,209 games as a player — the sixth-most ever. Torre had managed three previous teams with one playoff appearance but no wins, as his Braves were swept by the Cardinals in 1982.
He did not exactly arrive with high expectations and instantly had to navigate turning eight potential starters into five — David Cone, Scott Kamieniecki, Jimmy Key, Dwight Gooden, Melido Perez, Andy Pettitte, Kenny Rogers, and an out-of-options starter the Yanks really liked named Mark Hutton.
Torre insisted a lot of the losing in his previous managerial stops was about having too little starting pitching, so he would not bellyache about too much. He also said he would use time to make a decision. But together in his office in March, I asked him what he really thought, and he said, “I will never have to make a decision.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
