Pettitte chooses Yankees over Torre

Andy Pettitte has chosen the New York Yankees over Joe Torre in what was likely an excruciating decision for him.

The Yankees lefty has officially taken himself out of consideration for a spot pitching in the World Baseball Classic for Team USA, a squad that will be led by his former manager Torre. Pettitte’s rejection of Torre’s offer to pitch for the team was a foregone conclusion once the Yankees expressed concerns about Pettitte participating, and possibly injuring himself, in an exhibition tournament. Those reservations outweighed any loyalty that Pettitte felt toward the man who protected him when he was a young pitcher from George Steinbrenner’s trade-happy ways, the manager who was at the helm for the first four World Series titles Pettitte helped win.

I’m not one of those baseball fans who hates the World Baseball Classic and I like the idea of seeing Yankee players participate. But I do understand the Yankees expressing concern about a potential injury to their #2 starter, particularly because they know Pettitte is such a competitor that he won’t be able to restrain himself from giving it his all. And Torre doesn’t have the best reputation in terms of not burning out his arms—protecting his pitchers is one area where Joe Girardi definitely is the better manager.
 

As much personal affection as Pettitte has for his former manager, in this situation the lefty simply was not going to go against the wishes of his bosses. Loyalty only goes so far.

Yankees get their way with Pettitte out of WBC

The New York Yankees will never admit to this, but they obviously put some subtle pressure on their veteran lefty Andy Pettitte not to pitch in the World Baseball Classic.

Reports earlier this week said Pettitte would pitch for the USA in the tournament, but the lefty’s name was notably missing from the official list of players announced today. While there is still a chance he could be named to the team because one more slot remains open, his appearance on the roster would be a rather shocking development.

The denials will continue from here to eternity. But there’s no question that the Yankees were very concerned about the possibility that Pettitte, who they desperately need this year to solidify their starting rotation, could get hurt during a glorified exhibition, far away from the caring hands of the Yankee trainers. The Yankees could not forbid Pettitte from participating in the WBC, but they could easily have sent him a strong message that pitching for the US squad was not a good idea.

Derek Jeter, captain of the last US squad, is obviously unavailable to play this time around as he recuperates from his ankle injury, which is probably devastating to him because his former manager and second father Joe Torre is managing the team. But the Yankees will be well represented in the 2013 WBC. Mark Teixeira will play for the US, Robinson Cano will represent the Dominican Republic and Francisco Cervelli will play with Italy.

Notice there are no pitchers on that list. The Yankees were not taking a chance with any of their arms, especially the arm of an aging Andy Pettitte. They need him for when the games really count.

Random thoughts: wild card edition

I didn’t think it was possible to mess up the new wild card format, but it took only one game to do it.

What should have been a feel-good story about Chipper Jones playing what turned out to be his last game in an Atlanta Braves uniform quickly turned ugly when the Braves fans created an incredibly dangerous situation for players and umpires alike by hurling debris on to the field. While not condoning their actions, I understand their frustration completely. I too couldn’t believe my eyes when the umpire called the infield fly rule on a popup well into left field. Technically, the play doesn’t have to be in the infield for the rule to apply, but umpires never make that call in the regular season and they were wrong to do so in a win-or-go-home scenario.

I understand that Major League Baseball needed to make a quick decision, but did anyone at the home office bother to view the video before they denied the Braves’ protest? The umpire clearly made a mistake, not of judgment as MLB would have you believe, but in his application of the infield fly rule. I know it would have been a scheduling nightmare, but Bud Selig and Joe Torre should have upheld the protest and ordered the game to be replayed from that point on. The St. Louis Cardinals may still have walked away victorious, but it would have removed any doubt that they deserved to move on to the division series

 * Much of my excitement over the new wild card format was the idea of recreating the magic of the last regular season game of 2011. That was all shot to hell with that terrible call in the first game and then a lackluster performance by the Texas Rangers against the annoyingly peppy Baltimore Orioles in the second game. Perhaps it’s just not possible to recreate what was a magical night of baseball. Or perhaps we should just let Major League Baseball try again next year and hope those teams put forth better efforts.

 * What a fall from grace for the Rangers. They, like the New York Yankees, had a division title in their grasp. But unlike the Yankees, who managed to win enough games against their division rivals in September to emerge victorious, the Rangers couldn’t muster one win against the surprising Oakland Athletics. The Rangers put themselves in a do-or-die situation and they died, even with their ace on the mound. Watching yesterday’s game, it didn’t seem like the Rangers even cared about moving on in the playoffs. It’s a stunning fall from grace for a team that I thought was building a legacy that would eventually result in a World Series, much as with the Braves in the early 1990s. It could still happen, but who knows if they have anything left, especially with Josh Hamilton possibly heading out the door. 

Random baseball thoughts: All-Star edition

That was an embarrassing performance by the American League All-Stars, who got spanked by the National League 8-0 and lost home-field advantage for the third year in a row. Remember when the American League had that 13-game unbeaten streak in All-Star contests? That is now a thing of the past. What was most disappointing was that the early drubbing made the rest of the game a total snoozefest. I got so bored that I fell asleep and missed the last two innings of the game. I didn’t even know that Melky Cabrera won the Most Valuable Player award until this morning. Good for him.

I     * I can’t say I was thrilled to see Justin Verlander laughing it up on the sidelines after getting pounded for five runs in the first inning, putting the American League in a hole they didn’t have a chance of climbing out of, especially since “this time it counts” gave the National League home-field advantage in the World Series. I bet Verlander will rue his performance if he finds himself pitching Game 1 of the World Series for the Detroit Tigers in some National League ballpark.

       * Just when you thought Kansas City Royals fans couldn’t behave any more despicably, now comes word that Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees had to have extra security guard his family during the All-Star game because of the disgraceful behavior of Royals fans upset at Cano for supposedly snubbing their hometown hero Billy Butler in the Home Run Derby. I thought the merciless booing of Cano was extreme, but this just takes it to a whole new level. To be fair, Yankee fans have been guilty of similar boorish behavior as Cliff Lee’s wife reported getting spit at and beer thrown in her direction during the 2009 World Series. But that doesn’t make it right, either in New York or Kansas City.  



Bud Selig and Joe Torre both expressed remorse for Cano’s treatment at the hands of Kansas City fans. Hopefully, it will be enough to convince them that they are setting these players up for this kind of treatment by putting them in the position of having to choose the Derby participants. Major League Baseball should retake control of that responsibility. They can be assured that they would be safe from that type of vicious treatment since most fans couldn’t pick baseball officials not named Selig and Torre out of a lineup.  

* You have to admire R.A. Dickey, not only for the way he has dominated opposing baseball teams this year with that knuckleball, but for what he has survived in his life to get to this point of tremendous success. My admiration for him grew stronger this week as he expressed disappointment over not starting the All-Star game, a start that he earned, without criticizing National League manager Tony LaRussa for taking the start away from him. Dickey is a class act. I make it a point to turn on the Mets games when I know he is starting just to watch him pitch. I’m rooting for him to continue his fantastic run in the second half. 

Congrats to Santana and long-suffering Mets fans

Congratulations, New York Mets fans! Your suffering is over. No longer will you be mocked for never experiencing one of the greatest accomplishments in baseball history.

The Mets have been overachieving all season, surpassing all expectations and playing to within a game of first place in the National League East (and one game better than the New York Yankees). Now a Mets pitcher has finally accomplished a feat that some people doubted would ever happen: Johan Santana threw the first no-hitter in franchise history. After all the near misses and the agony of watching former Mets throw no-hitters and perfect games for other teams, this one has to feel good.

It seems right that Santana is the guy to make Mets history, especially considering how well liked he is all across baseball. The congratulations quickly started pouring in when word of his no-hitter got around and the praise all seemed quite genuine, with many of his former teammates expressing pure joy at their friend’s feat.

Santana has had a terrific career, winning not one but two Cy Young awards. The Mets have had so many terrific pitchers over the years, namely the great Tom Seaver. But Santana is the one to finally put the Mets on the map when it comes to no-hitter pitching history. He did right by the Mets and by Mets fans, saluting them for their support that night and through his struggles with that injured shoulder. He also made a short and simple clubhouse speech that choked me up a bit when he told his teammates that they all did this together.

And a big bravo to Terry Collins for having the guts to let his “hero” stay in that game despite the possible damage throwing so many pitches could do to Santana’s surgically repaired shoulder. It was not an easy call. Yankees fans remember when Joe Torre pulled David Cone from a game against the Oakland Athletics with a no-hitter through seven innings in his first start coming back from an aneurysm. Collins wasn’t going to do that, not to his ace, not in front of those long-suffering Mets fans, who have stuck by the team through September collapses and Bernie Madoff.

Congratulations to Johan Santana for a feat 50 years in the making. And to those hard-core Mets fans, including my uncles, who stood by the Mets through all the tough times. You all deserve this moment.  

Shocker! Bud Selig to stay on as MLB commish

I’m sure we’re all completely shocked by the news that Bud Selig will stay on as Commissioner of Major League Baseball.

In all seriousness, as much as Selig insisted that he would depart at the end of his contract, there was just no way he was going to leave with so much unfinished business, namely the precarious financial situations of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets (yes, I blame the New York Yankees’ cross-town rivals in part for Selig’s decision not to ride off into the sunset. And Bernie Madoff, of course). If Selig can put the Dodgers in the capable hands of his one-time deputy Joe Torre and find a way to help the Mets out of their financial abyss, that would settle two of the biggest obstacles between Selig and retirement.

Did Selig really want to retire? I truly believe that he did want to leave his high-profile job and settle into an uncomplicated life in academia. But I also believe that Selig is not a man to walk away when things get tough. To be sure, he would have been leaving Major League Baseball in pretty good shape following the almost completely rancor-free contract negotiations that resolved many key issues: tighter drug testing, more expanded instant replay that will hopefully reduce controversial calls, additional wild cards that ensure the excitement of the 2011 regular season’s finish will be replicated every year.

But the financial troubles of two major franchises in baseball’s key markets was simply too much for Selig to walk away from, a delicate situation that the baseball owners probably did not trust another commissioner to handle, which is why I can imagine that they may have begged Selig to stay.

Whatever the reason, Selig’s decision to stay on is good for the game of baseball. 

Can Joe Torre restore the Dodgers to greatness?

Joe Torre is a proven winner in the game of baseball, but he is going to need all his skills and talents for what he hopes will be his next job: restoring the Los Angeles Dodgers to greatness.

Torre announced that he was leaving Major League Baseball’s front office to join a group seeking to buy the bankrupt Dodgers. If the group’s bid is successful, Torre would become the head of baseball operations for the iconic franchise and the primary face of a new ownership group seeking to turn the Dodgers back into a superior organization.

Torre has a lifetime of baseball experience as a player, manager and broadcaster, although he experienced his greatest post-retirement success as manager of the New York Yankees. I do not question Torre’s baseball smarts at all. But I can’t help but wonder whether a job running baseball operations is the best fit for an admitted old-time thinker when it comes to baseball. Can Torre really deal with all the advanced metrics and new-age thinking that comes with recruiting and signing players for a major league franchise in the Moneyball era?

I’m also a little surprised that Torre decided to leave his job as right-hand man to Bud Selig at MLB. It was a comfortable role that seemed to fit Torre like a glove, even when there was controversy with the umpires or MLB’s foolish decision to deny the New York Mets the right to honor the first responders at the 9/11 ceremonies by wearing their hats. But Torre is a master at deflecting and defusing controversies, a talent honed in his many years as Yankees manager under George Steinbrenner.  

He’s going to need more than that if he’s going to succeed in his latest task. The Dodgers are fighting to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and regain the love and affection of Angelenos turned off by the antics of current owner Frank McCourt and the thugs who infiltrated the stadium in recent years, leading to a near-fatal attack on a visiting San Francisco Giants fan. The Dodgers will also have to contend with the suddenly free-spending Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and their new superstar Albert Pujols, whose signing has excited, and perhaps expanded, the Angels fan base.

But Torre has a lot to work with, namely a nucleus of young talent, led by superstar Matt Kemp on the offensive side and ace Clayton Kershaw on the pitching mound. He will have his hand-picked successor Don Mattingly, who did a commendable job running the 2011 team despite all the drama, back in the dugout. It’s a strong base to build off of and Torre may be the guy to massage the team back to what die-hard Dodger Blue fans deserve: a title-winning ballclub. I certainly hope so.

Good luck, Joe!

Favorite Yankees moment of 2011

What was my favorite New York Yankees moment of the year? That’s a very easy call. Seeing the great Mariano Rivera officially lay claim to the title of the greatest closer in baseball history.

As you can probably tell from reading this blog, Mo is my favorite Yankee player. I traveled up to Toronto that weekend in September just to see him pitch for the all-time saves record because I did not want to miss out on being a part of that magical moment. I was very fortunate to be at the Saturday afternoon game when he tied the record, a moment made even more special as I was watching the game with two friends, one who is as big a baseball fan as I am and the other who likes baseball games because you can drink as much beer as you want (or as much as the stadium workers will sell you before they get suspicious about how drunk you are). But Mo was the big attraction that day and not even the subdued reaction of the Blue Jays faithful could dull my spirits, even though I felt like they should have given Mo a long standing ovation out of respect for all that he has accomplished in the game of baseball.

I generally like my job, but for one day I completed resented it because I could not get out of covering an event in Manhattan to head out to Yankee Stadium and personally witness Mo shine in surpassing the record. Typical Mo, he was quite embarrassed by all the attention from the cheering and adoring maniacs who actually made it out to the stadium to support him that day, but no one deserved that show of love and respect more than Mariano.

That’s not to take away from the other great moments in Yankee land this year. Of course, Derek Jeter’s 3,000^th hit ranks right up there behind Mo’s accomplishment. Again, it was another moment I missed seeing in person because of a previously scheduled family engagement (the skipping of which would be grounds for permanent banishment).

I also can’t disagree with this column selecting Joe Torre’s return to Yankee Stadium for Old Timers’ Day. I was actually there that day and it was a wonderful day for a number of reasons: Torre’s return; Bernie Williams playing in the game for the first time, hitting a double and being driven in on a home run by another favorite of mine, Tino Martinez; the lovely tribute to the now retired Gene Monahan (I was completely jealous of all his swag). It was a day made even more special because it was celebrated as part of a group outing with more than 1,000 of my fellow Syracuse University alumni. We were baking under the hot sun, but it was a glorious day full of laughter, baseball and margaritas (yes, they sell them at the stadium and they are really good).

But for me, nothing tops Mo’s moment in the sun. As much as I’d love for Mo to pitch forever, when he does finally decide to call it quits, I will have this memory and all the other great Mo moments to look back on with a big smile.

What was your favorite Yankees moment of 2011? 

Is Jorge Posada's baseball career over?

We know that Jorge Posada’s great career with the New York Yankees is over. He told us that himself. But is his baseball career over or will he do the unthinkable and put on another baseball team’s uniform? Not even Jorge knows right now.

Posada saw the writing on the wall. He didn’t have to be told by Brian Cashman or the Steinbrenners that his great Yankees career was coming to an end, despite a terrific postseason in which he tried to singlehandedly carry the Yankees lineup to victory. In fact, one of the most disappointing things about the Yankees’ early exit was watching Posada unsuccessfully fight back tears, knowing that he would never again put on the Yankees uniform as a big-league player.

But Posada’s successful postseason proved to himself (and apparently to several teams) that he can still play the game of baseball. Plus, Posada has a lot to offer to a team looking for a spark from a fiery veteran with an impressive postseason resume. Would Posada actually put on another team’s uniform? We’ll see. He may decide he needs just one more year to undo the sting of struggling with his designated hitter/bench guy role with the Yankees and the emotions of his demotion during the 2011 regular season.

If Posada’s career is over, then the next question becomes, was it a Hall of Fame-worthy career? His ex-manager Joe Torre, soon to be a Hall of Famer himself, certainly thinks so. Derek Jeter won’t comment on his buddy’s situation unless Posada officially retires, but if he does, then I’m sure the Yankees shortstop will plug his pal’s candidacy for Cooperstown.

As much as I would like to see Jorge walk away never having worn another uniform, I want more to see him walk away from the sport on his own terms. If he feels he needs to play for another team to do that, then he absolutely should. I will still root for Jorge no matter where he goes, unless, of course, it’s Boston!

Red Sox have much bigger problems than beer

Major League Baseball will investigate reports that Boston Red Sox players were drinking beer during baseball games, according to MLB enforcer Joe Torre, a seemingly flagrant violation of MLB rules. But the Red Sox have much bigger problems than that.

Sure, I would deem beer drinking during games a bad violation of both the rules and the spirit of baseball. And I can understand if Red Sox position players resent their starters for participating in such activities during their days between starts while the rest of the team was fighting for their playoff lives. But I doubt MLB is going to do anything but slap the wrist of the pitchers for their imbibing. We’ve seen a lot worse behavior go unpunished all around MLB.

The Red Sox problems go much deeper than some superficial MLB investigation. After their epic collapse, they are without a manager and seem to be without direction. They have critical decisions to make about veteran players such as David Ortiz and Jason Varitek, who used to be considered clubhouse leaders, but now seem to be dead weight on a team that desperately needs to shed those pounds. I think for the sake of the team, the new brain trust is going to have to clean house as much as possible.

Some people were surprised by Theo Epstein’s decision to flee Boston for the Chicago Cubs. I can’t say that I’m one of them. It’s obvious that Epstein took one long look at the team he helped shepherd to two World Series championships and realized there was nothing more he could do for the team he grew up loving. Even for the “Boy Genius,” the Red Sox have too many problems to solve, ones that have nothing to do with drinking beer.

HOPE week off to another inspiring start

The New York Yankees are once again bringing hope to those who deserve it the most and receiving hope in return.

The Yankees third annual HOPE week is off to another inspiring start. The first day had Nick Swisher, Francisco Cervelli, Chris Dickerson and Russell Martin singing with members of Daniel's Music Foundation, which provides free music instruction to individuals with disabilities. As the aunt of a disabled child, it really lifts my spirits to see the Yankees get involved with such a cause.

With the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks fast approaching, it was also nice to see the Yankees highlight an organization such as Tuesday’s Children that has done so much to help kids recover from that day and other horrific tragedies. Current Yankees manager Joe Girardi and former Yankees manager Joe Torre led the very large Yankee contingent that spent the day with the kids in the program and the adults who mentor them.

I love that the Yankees players get so much obvious joy from their interactions with these well-deserving honorees, especially the kids. The players have just as much fun at these events as the fans they are honoring, as shown by the impromptu water balloon fight that broke out today. I really do love seeing the Yankees so willing to share their time with people who have suffered and overcome so much.

I want to give a shout-out to public relations director Jason Zillo, who had the foresight to understand that the Yankees can bring joy to people who deserve it the most through these simple interactions. What Zillo probably didn’t anticipate was that his players would receive as much hope as they give.

Another HOPE week brings another week of beautiful stories.

Yankees Old Timers' Day an instant classic

No one puts on a show like the New York Yankees, but yesterday they outdid even themselves.

I was thrilled to be a part of the crowd cheering for the old timers on what turned out to be a terrific summer day

(maybe a little too hot to be sitting out in the sun for five hours like I was, but fun nonetheless). It’s still strange for me to think of my favorite players Tino Martinez and Bernie Williams as old timers. But I felt a familiar surge of excitement when Tino whacked a ball into the right field seats, looking like the Tino of old, right after Bernie doubled to the thrill of the crowd that came to welcome him for his first Old Timers’ game back at the stadium.

But my favorite moments came during the pre-game ceremonies. Watching Joe Torre tear up at the sustained standing ovation he received from the Yankees faithful brought tears to my eyes too. It was the first real chance we got to thank Torre for the dynasty that he helped give to the city of New York. Torre was at the stadium for George Steinbrenner’s memorial last year, but that was a solemn day in honor of the Boss. Now, we finally had a chance to give Torre his due. I’m glad that the icy relations between Torre and the Yankees thawed enough to allow us this opportunity.

I also got teary during the extended celebration of Gene Monahan’s career as the Yankees trainer. In throwing out the first pitch, Monahan fired a strike to an emotional Jorge Posada, who donned the catcher’s gear one more time just for his trainer. Monahan is retiring this year, but he will not be going away empty handed. Between the truck, the trip to the Alps, the lawn mower and turf supplies, and the new dog, I would imagine Monahan is going to be just as busy during retirement as he is right now. It was a classy going-away party for the classiest guy.

For me, the day was even more special because I had more than 1,000 of my fellow Syracuse alum there to celebrate with me. We swapped college stories over chicken fajitas and ice cream and cheered all the old timers, both young and old. It was a glorious day in every way and an instant classic for a team known best for its traditions.

Let the Joba Rules backlash begin

Now that Joba Chamberlain is officially heading for season-ending surgery, the Joba Rules backlash can really begin.

Since the shocking news of Joba’s elbow injury, we’ve seen the mumblings or mild criticism of the New York Yankees’ approach to handling young pitchers, which first came to light when Joe Torre openly talked – with a hint of disdain – about the restrictions on his use of a very young Joba in 2007. Now, with Chamberlain needing Tommy John surgery and Phil Hughes missing most of the first half of the 2011 baseball season, the Yankees have to answer questions about the effectiveness – or lack thereof – of the rules. Cashman seems to be annoyed by the prospect of having to defend the Joba Rules, but there are legitimate questions to be asked given the serious arm problems that Chamberlain and Hughes have been dealing with, the very problems that the rules were put in place to avoid.

In all fairness, the rules were probably necessary during the Torre reign because of his overreliance on his core guys. Cashman, understandably, didn’t want Torre burning out his prized young pitchers. But I wonder if the Joba Rules are even necessary anymore with Joe Girardi now running the club. Unlike Torre, Girardi is committed to protecting his pitchers and willing to risk losing a game rather than risk a dangerous injury to a key reliever by putting him out there three days in a row. Girardi doesn’t need to be told to do this, he just does it and deals with the consequences.

Regardless, with Chamberlain and Hughes both down, Cashman will spend a lot of time defending the Joba Rules. Hopefully, he spends as much time thinking about whether they are necessary or should be modified to make them more effective. It’s too late for Joba and Phil, but perhaps the Yankees can learn something valuable about how to really protect their promising young arms.

Giants GM makes bad situation much worse

Giants General Manager Brian Sabean made a very bad situation much worse by issuing a veiled threat against Florida Marlins outfielder Scott Cousins, who ended Giants catcher Buster Posey’s season in a home plate collision.

I understand that Sabean is very upset and frustrated by losing his star catcher for the rest of the 2011 season, but his comments are simply inexcusable. He inflamed an already volatile situation in which Cousins has received several death threats. There is simply no room for a baseball executive like Sabean to say that he would be happy if a player never played another game or that his team will have a long memory, implying that Cousins could be thrown at or hurt in some way when the teams play each other again.

Posey, meanwhile, hasn’t exactly shined in this situation either. He issued a statement saying he did not condone threats against Cousins and his family. But his statement also made clear that he had no interest in speaking to Cousins, who is obviously devastated by what happened and has tried to personally apologize numerous times.

This situation reminds me of Derek Jeter’s terrible behavior after then Toronto Blue Jays catcher Ken Huckaby inadvertently dislocated his shoulder during a collision at third base on Opening Day 2003. After failing to contact Jeter via phone, Huckaby walked over to the New York Yankees clubhouse to seek Jeter out with a personal apology. All he received in return was, as Ian O’ Connor put it in his Jeter biography, “a cold, bloodless stare.”

That was truly the one time I thought Jeter behaved despicably, something that he has never made amends for. In fact, he continues to defend his behavior by insisting Huckaby never called and that he wasn’t being a bad guy by refusing to accept his apology. Posey, like Jeter, is upset about missing time playing baseball and is rebuffing efforts by Cousins to apologize. But, unlike Jeter, I hope Posey is man enough to forgive Cousins, which would go a long way toward easing the tension.

I don’t think Major League Baseball will discipline Sabean for his comments. Joe Torre apparently had a conversation with Sabean in which he made clear that his comments were out of line, but I wish Torre and Bud Selig would take it one step further and either fine or suspend Sabean. We simply can’t have baseball executives threatening players for playing the game of baseball.

Thanks to btwashburn via Wikipedia for the Brian Sabean picture.

Jeter bio humanizes Yankee Captain

Ian O' Connor said he wanted to humanize Derek Jeter in writing his now famous Jeter biography The Captain. I would say he succeeded, at least partially.

The book is a mostly positive recap of Jeter's career, much of it pretty well known. But there are some interesting and insightful tidbits mixed in about Jeter and his relationships with friends, family and fellow members of the New York Yankees. I'm going to cover some of them in the next few blog posts.

I found the first chapter to be one of the best chapters in the book because it delves into great detail about Jeter’s family, particularly his father Charles Jeter and grandfather Sonny Connors. It was mostly from Connors that Jeter developed his unimpeachable work ethic. But it was from his dad that Jeter got his baseball skills and I couldn’t help but wonder if Charles Jeter would have been the first big-league baseball player in the family if he hadn’t faced so many racial and other obstacles.

It was pretty funny to read that Jeter's obsession with Mariah Carey – and the book makes it clear it was an obsession – went even deeper than we realized with numerous former high school and minor league teammates recounting Jeter's plans to marry the singer and constant tuning in to her tunes. I'm sure Minka Kelly, Jeter's current girlfriend and the woman expected to be crowned princess of New York to Jeter's prince, is thrilled by these revelations.

But the book makes clear that Jeter can be quite cold, distrustful and quick to freeze people out of his life for any reason. Of course, we knew something about this from his falling out with Alex Rodriguez over the infamous Esquire article. But that was understandable considering his then-pal publicly dissed him. What I found most revealing is that Jeter reserved the same treatment for friends or teammates that he felt slighted him in much smaller and less public ways. One of the most insightful quotes in the book comes from Jeter’s former minor league teammate R.D. Long who says he still senses Jeter’s distrust despite their long friendship. I bet that quote is going to earn him a one-way ticket to Jeter’s doghouse.

The major hole in the narrative comes from O' Connor's inability to secure the cooperation of Jeter and other key figures in the book such as Alex Rodriguez and Joe Torre. I would have loved to get ARod's response to O' Connor's contention that ARod was happy about the nasty contract negotiations between Jeter and the Yankees. Likewise, I would have appreciated hearing Torre’s response to getting caught in a lie when Brian Cashman realized that the then-Yankees manager never approached Jeter about a possible position change even though Torre told Cashman that Jeter wanted to stay put. I have to give O' Connor a pass on not getting Jeter's views on these and other topics because even if Jeter had agreed to the lengthy sit-down that the writer asked for, there's no way he would have reignited the Jeter/ARod cold war or ever say a bad word about the man he viewed as his baseball father.

Can Bud Selig save the LA Dodgers?

How bad must things be behind the scenes with the Los Angeles Dodgers if that team is a better candidate for a takeover than the woeful, Madoff-stricken Mets? Things must have gotten pretty bad if Bud Selig felt compelled to step in and try to save the Dodgers from the dueling McCourts (and stop them from trampling on what’s left of his legacy).

Selig’s statement doesn’t give much of a clue to what caused his concerns about impending doom for the Dodgers, but it’s safe to say that news of McCourt being forced to take a loan from Fox was a factor. Selig made it clear that he’s worried both about the financial health and the legacy of one of baseball’s oldest and proudest franchises, which has taken major hits recently with the never-ending McCourt war and the brutal attack on a San Francisco Giants fan in the Dodger Stadium parking lot.

Of course, McCourt is not going to take this lying down. He’s already battling his wife in one courtroom. He and Selig may end up on opposite sides of another courtroom pretty soon, which will just make things worse for the Dodgers and Major League Baseball.

I feel for Donnie Baseball. Don Mattingly finally gets a manager’s job for a team with dysfunctional owners who got kicked to the curb by the commissioner of baseball. I hope the chaos at the top has a minimal impact on the baseball his team plays, but it’s hard to imagine it won’t have an effect on personnel decisions if the team is that strapped for cash. Joe Torre jumped ship at just the right time, but I can’t help wondering how much influence he had on Selig’s decision now that he’s working for MLB.

Maybe Selig can prevent the Dodgers from falling apart. I hope so. I would take no pleasure in seeing the Dodgers team suffer, just as I get no joy seeing the mess the Mets are in.

Yankees, Torre finally fully at peace

Joe Torre revealed that the New York Yankees have invited him back to Yankee Stadium for Old-Timers Day, more evidence that the Yankees have finally made peace with their old manager.

Torre excitedly talked about the invitation he received from the Yankees, showing there are no longer any hard feelings on his part for his nasty divorce from the Yankees. This was not a surprise since Torre went out of his way to express gratitude toward the Yankees at the Baseball Writers’ Association dinner in January. As for Brian Cashman and the Steinbrenner sons, they seem to have gotten past the anger they felt toward Torre after his unflattering description of his treatment at the end of his career in the Bronx in the Yankee Years.

Can a day to honor Torre by retiring his #6 be far behind? Probably not this year, but I expect it to happen in the next couple of years. Torre seems perfectly content with his new job in Major League Baseball's front office so the prospects that he'll embarrass the Yankees by returning to the manager’s chair again (particularly in Queens) are dim, especially since Torre said he doesn't miss managing at all.

The ice in the relationship between Torre and the Yankees has fully thawed, removing the final barrier for Torre receiving the well-deserved honor. The Steinbrenner sons might make him wait a year or two just because they can, particularly Hank because he seems determined to be like his father and George Steinbrenner would definitely have made Torre wait. But eventually they will come around and give Torre and his fans the proper sendoff and celebration for the last great Yankees dynasty that we all deserve.

Is all forgotten? Probably not, but the rapprochement is a positive sign that all things can eventually be forgiven.

How will old-school Torre fare at MLB?

So it's official. Former New York Yankees and Dodgers manager Joe Torre will work for Bud Selig and Major League Baseball. I'm looking forward to seeing how an old-school guy like Torre will deal with the major issues that baseball will be facing over the next few years.

I don’t imagine Torre wants to tamper with the game he loves so much, but in truth there are significant problems that definitely need to be addressed. Instant replay is a great example. I don’t know whether baseball umpiring is getting worse or technology just makes it much easier to catch their mistakes. But the demand for replay is going to get louder with every blown call in a major game, particularly one that costs a team a chance for the playoffs or advancing to the World Series. It’s already cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game. (BTW, I remain firmly committed to my boycott of MLB Network until Galarraga's perfect game is restored, even though I don’t think it’s going to happen now, and Selig reconsiders the use of instant replay in baseball).

I hope that Torre comes down in favor of instant replay, but it’s not a given. Old-school guys like Torre generally tend to think the game is fine just the way it is. But I think it needs to evolve with the times and replay is just one way of doing that. Selig has been resistant to the idea of expanded use of instant replay due to its impact on the pace of baseball games. But I think Torre could convince him of its merits if they can come up with a workable mechanism (limit a manager’s ability to request a replay to one play per game and specifically bar replays on ball and strike calls). But Torre may need convincing himself.

I do like the idea of an ex-manager of Torre’s stature being Selig’s right-hand man. Selig has been quite stubborn on certain issues, but Torre definitely has the credibility and the people skills to talk him into things. Just as long as Torre doesn’t let his image of the game he played and managed get in the way of changes this sport desperately needs to make.

Hughes adopting young Jeter's healthy attitude

Phil Hughes isn't taking anything for granted this year, coming into spring training like he is fighting for his job even though he is penciled into the #2 or #3 spot in the starting rotation of the New York Yankees rotation. It’s a good approach. It reminds me of a young Derek Jeter.

In 1996, Joe Torre was taking over as manager of the Yankees and was asked in spring training about the shortstop position, which had been in a constant state of flux for years. He told reporters that Jeter would be the shortstop. The young Jeter was asked the same question and replied that he was being given an opportunity to win the shortstop job. Well, we know how that turned out. Not only did he win the job, he was an integral member of the team that won the Yankees first World Series in 18 years and started a dynasty that would last for the rest of the decade.

Jeter’s answer so impressed Torre that the youngster immediately became a favorite of his old-school manager, a bond that continues unbroken until this day. Joe Girardi was equally impressed with the attitude of his young pitcher. Hughes knows full well that any competition he might have faced this year vanished with Andy Pettitte’s retirement, but he is still acting like he has to fight for his job, which warms his manager’s heart.

Another sign of Hughes’ maturity is his refusal to blame exhaustion for his second-half troubles, as both Girardi and Brian Cashman did. Asked why he struggled in the latter half of 2010, Hughes’ answer was that hitters just caught up with his stuff. It was probably a combination of factors, but the fact that Hughes was willing to step up and take responsibility and pledge to get better is a positive sign for him and the Yankees.

As Cashman noted, the Yankees are in big trouble if Hughes pitches himself out of his rotation spot. But approaching the new season as if there are no guarantees is a healthy attitude to have. Just look at what it did for Jeter, launching an epic career that will eventually take him to his guaranteed spots in the Baseball Hall of Fame and Monument Park. I hope Hughes’ healthy attitude can take him just as far.

Yankees must give Pettitte whatever he wants

I laughed when I saw a report that the New York Yankees were "willing" to pay Andy Pettitte $12-$13 million to come back for another year. The Yankees will give Pettitte whatever he wants, whether it’s as much time as he needs to make a decision or as much money as he wants.

A New York Post reporter seemingly violated unwritten baseball protocol by showing up at Pettitte’s doorstep uninvited to ask him the question that all of us Yankee fans are dying to hear a positive answer to: Are you coming back?

The Yankees are desperate for a yes on that one too. Brian Cashman is playing things unbelievably cool, not panicking and throwing tons of money at the lesser free agents still on the market just because he lost on out on Cliff Lee. But if Pettitte calls Cashman to tell the general manager he is on for another year, Cashman will be relieved and he will also have no choice but to give Andy whatever he wants.

Unlike with the Derek Jeter situation, Pettitte has all leverage and should use it to the fullest extent. If Cashman tries to say no on the money that Pettitte wants, the lefty can simply call it quits. And if he let people know that he was willing to come back, but the Yankees refused to acquiesce to his monetary demands, the Yankee faithful and the media will come down ultra-hard on Cashman and the Steinbrenners, perhaps even calling for Cashman’s head.

Don’t forget what happened the last time Pettitte left the Yankees. He pitched masterfully in the 2003 World Series, simply getting outdueled by a young Josh Beckett in Game 6 despite another great postseason performance. He then took a lot less money to go home to Houston and the Yankees suffered the indignity of blowing a 3-0 lead in the 2004 American League Championship Series and watching the Red Sox finally reverse the curse with a World Series championship. That happened in large part because Joe Torre didn’t have a reliably clutch Pettitte to stop the bleeding. With the retooled Red Sox gunning for the Bronx Bombers this year, the Yankees have to be desperate to avoid a 2004 redux.

So the Yankees won’t push Pettitte for an answer. They will just wait patiently and pray that he decides he has another year in him and then write a nice, fat check if his answer is yes.