What is in Derek Jeter's future with the Yankees?

Over the past five years, even though Alex Rodriguez's life has been endlessly scrutinized, discussed, and psychoanalyzed, there is one topic that is hardly ever mentioned. It's the fact that he gave up being the best shortstop in the game, and the chance to go down as the greatest shortstop of all time, to be a Yankee.

For all the talk over the years, of A-Rod being a me-first, 24 and 1 type of player, giving up being shortstop was about as selfless as it gets in this game. And unfortunately for him, he never really got the credit he deserved for being a true team player there.

All of this brings me to Derek Jeter. Squawker Jon, who has access to the premium ESPN Insider feature, was telling me about Christina Kahrl's article suggesting that Jeter move to center field. (I think it's too late to do that - if it were to be done, it should have happened three years ago - but that's me.)

And in today's New York Post, Joel Sherman wonders what will happen in 21 months, when Jeter's contract expires:

Yankee officials already talk privately about dreading D(erek)-Day.

After all, what team official wants to tell Jeter he has to take a pay cut or has to move positions or - gulp - just has to move on? How would you like that on your baseball epitaph: You were the Yankee executive who told Derek Jeter thanks for the memories?

Of course, the alternative is not too appetizing either. Because kowtowing to Jeter's legacy by paying him lavishly and keeping him at short means tying yourself to a late-30s icon well beyond his expiration date.

I would hope Jeter would move gracefully off shortstop when the time comes, and I think he will. Let's hope that this situation isn't going to get as contentious as it did when Davey Johnson wanted to move Cal Ripken Jr. to third. Of course, A-Rod is at third, so moving Jeter there isn't going to work, but I digress.

The other issue the Yanks are going to face regarding Jeter is the money. After all, they're paying A-Rod over $27 million a year until he's 42 years old. Do you think Jeter's going to want comparable money for being the face of the franchise, and for putting fannies in the seats, as George Steinbrenner would say? I sure do. Jeter got his 10-year, $190 million contract with the Yanks right after the Texas Rangers' record-breaking deal with A-Rod, after all.

While Jeter won't be going for the all-time home run record like Alex is, he will be going for 3000+ hits, which is another big achievement. (It still amazes me that no Yankee has ever reached that milestone in pinstripes!)

Unfortunately, all of this is going to be a issue for the Yankees, along with when it's time to tell Jorge Posada he's no longer catcher. Actually, that one will be much harder than moving Jeter, I think. Heck, Posada still wanted to catch last season when he literally couldn't throw anybody out - remember that game against Boston where they ran like crazy on him?

I disagree with Sherman's conclusion, though, that things would be better for this situation if Joe Torre were still the Yankee manager.

What makes Sherman think that Torre would even go along with moving Jeter off shortstop? He had no choice but to agree with Brian Cashman moving Bernie Williams out of center and bringing up Robinson Cano, because the Yanks went 11-19 to start out the 2005 season and Torre's own job was on the line. But he sure wasn't happy about it.

And it's why Cashman didn't give Bernie a guaranteed contract offer in 2007 - because he knew Joe would still play him over Melky Cabrera if he had the opportunity. Heck, if Torre had had his way, Bernie would continue to be the starting center fielder!

Joe DiMaggio wasn't graceful - or gracious - about ceding center field to Mickey Mantle. Let's hope Derek Jeter handles it better when it's his time to move off shortstop.

Is it too soon to worry about what should happen to Derek Jeter? Leave us a comment!

Squawker reader sez Joe Torre ruined his marriage

An anonymous Subway Squawker reader contributed this gem today in our comments section. I thought it was so good, it deserved a post of its very own:

Thank you Joe Torre, you ruined my marriage.

This week I got my wife an anniversary card. In the card, I enclosed a letter. The words flowed romantically and sincerely. It was a work of art. I spoke so glowingly of her. I showed the letter to some close friends and it brought tears to their eyes.

In the middle of the letter I casually mentioned that some of her friends called her “fat cow” behind her back. Was that so bad? All those other praising words and those are the ones she picked out? Give me a break!

I told her – she needed to read the ENTIRE letter. Don’t take those words of out context! Don’t pick apart one throw away line of an entirely beautiful letter. But no, all she kept muttering was “fat cow”.

In my defense I said that I had help writing the letter. Those exact “fat cow” words weren’t mine. (this didn’t help)

She asked me if I had read the letter before I gave it to her – I meekly said – yes, six or seven times. (this didn’t help either)

I tried to make a joke of the whole thing. I said friends didn’t really say those words “behind her back”. It wasn’t said in a mean way! It was playful. (this really didn’t help)

I tried to reason – look, everyone knows you aren’t as skinny as you were 12 years ago. It’s a fact. It’s not like it’s shattering news! (by now, I’m ducking for cover)

As a final defense I said – Look Joe Torre said some terrible things about A-Rod and people still love him and his new terrific book.

She asked me where Joe Torre was now. I said LA. She said good, go join your buddy Joe in California – you are history.

My only hope is Valentine’s Day. I’m thinking maybe Tom Verducci can help me with a card…...

Ha ha ha! Great post! But what do you readers think? Leave us a comment!

Don't believe the media hype about Yankee fans being behind Joe Torre

I noticed several stories in the news today, where reporters interviewed people at Joe Torre's book signings and found out - surprise! - that these folks think Torre did nothing wrong with "The Yankee Years." Talk about the Department of Duh - the chances of finding a vocal, open Torre-hater at one of those events are about the same as finding is about as likely as the chances of finding a Red Sox fan wearing an "I Luv A-Rod" shirt. After all, Torre-haters aren't likely to wait online for hours, even though there's a good chance, like what happened yesterday at Borders, that they will get turned away.

But that is not to say that some of the people on line didn't have other agendas besides meeting Torre in the flesh. Newsflash to journalists - if somebody is buying five copies of "The Yankee Years," they might, oh I don't know, be selling the books on eBay or something!

Then there's this "fan" quoted in today's New York Post:

One devoted Torre fan, 45-year-old self-proclaimed retiree Greg Packer of Huntington, even stood in freezing temperatures from 3:30 a.m. on to get the first spot for the afternoon signing - and that was after standing in a long line the day before at a Midtown bookstore to get Torre's signature, too.

"It was worth it," Packer said. "I wish he was still the [Yankees] manager. With the talent we have on this team now, we'd be guaranteed to get to the World Series with Torre in charge."

I recognized Packer's name right away, and it wasn't for being a Yankee lover - it was the fact that this guy is well-known for being quoted in the media as a typical "man on the street."

Packer is famous - make that infamous - for showing up at celebrity signings and news events and getting his name and quotes in the papers, mostly for being the first in line at such things. He's been quoted hundreds of times in the press over the years.

He was the first in line when the iPhone went on sale in New York - Packer waited 110 hours in line for the opportunity. Wikipedia notes that he's been quoted as being both a lifelong Steeler fan and a lifelong Giants fan. This lifelong Yankee fan also showed up for Game 5 of last year's Philles-Ray World Series, and stayed in Philadelphia for the parade. Naturally, he was quoted in the New York Times about making the trip down from Long Island.

So infamous is Packer's hobby, that he's been profiled by National Public Radio, Editor and Publisher, the New York Times, Columbia News Service, and the Wall Street Journal about his exploits. He even has his own Wikipedia entry detailing his quotes, and brushes with fame.

In 2003, the Associated Press issued a memo to its reporters warning them about quoting Packer. Six years later, he's still frequently interviewed by journalists.

This professional line sitter admitted to Editor and Publisher in 2004 that he sometimes makes "stuff up to get in the paper," and said "at times the media can be gullible." You don't say.

"I do not think members of the press are pansies," Packer told Editor and Publisher, "but there are times when I go home and laugh because I can't believe that I made the newspaper pages again."

Guess he's having a giggle reading his quotes in today's papers about his love for Joe Torre.

As Sheryl McCarthy of Newsday once wrote in a column, "The fact that Greg Packer's quotes have turned up everywhere suggests that man-on-the-street interviews are worthless."

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

No way for Mets to catch a pennant

It's one thing not to want to sign Manny Ramirez to what could be the second-highest annual contract in baseball. But the Post's Joel Sherman reports that the Mets are looking to get rid of backup catcher Ramon Castro to save $2.8 million. According to Sherman, the Mets think Robinson Cancel can do just as good a job as backup catcher.

Last year, Brian Schneider was injured several times and only played in 110 games. And when he did play, Schneider was not a great hitter, especially against lefties, against whom the lefty Schneider batted only .187.

So the Mets need a good backup catcher, ideally one with a strong righthanded bat. And Ramon Castro has shown that he can fill that bill. Castro's production did tail off last year, especially after the All-Star break, when he batted only .197. But he's still a lot more of a proven commodity than Cancel, who got into 27 games last year after being out of the major leagues since 1999.

If Cancel were a young, promising prospect, that would be one thing. But Cancel turns 32 this season. He's only two months younger than Castro and several months older than Schneider.

The last two years suggest that the Mets would be wise to keep all three catchers in their system. In both 2007 and 2008, the Mets' top two catchers went down, forcing the team to turn to the likes of Mike DeFelice, Raul Casanova, Sandy Alomar Jr. and Cancel.

If the Mets truly believe that Cancel is just as good as Castro, that's one thing.
But getting rid of Castro to save what amounts to 2% of the projected payroll could come back to haunt the Mets.

At yesterday's Oliver Perez news conference, Jeff Wilpon included money owed to Billy Wagner and Willie Randolph when discussing what the Mets' payroll would be in 2009. Fortunately, the Mets realized that the money still owed to Wagner should have no bearing on getting a new closer for this year.

But if the Mets had been willing to eat Willie Randolph's contract earlier, they might have won the division last year. And if they get rid of Castro to offset the cost of paying Randolph the $2.5 million owed to him this year, they could jeopardize their chances in 2009.

Joe Torre's 'I Managed Good, But Boy Did They Play Bad' tour hits NYC

It's somehow appropriate that Jim Bouton has been defending Joe Torre as of late. Because not only did Bouton write "Ball Four," that inside look inside a clubhouse, but he also wrote a book of baseball anecdotes called "I Managed Good, But Boy Did They Play Bad."

And while nobody could accuse the late-90s dynasty Yankees of playing bad, it seems like Joe was all too willing to shift blame to his team, instead of taking the heat himself, for their playoff failures this decade.

I have yet to hear that Joe takes any blame for his dopey moves. I still can't understand why, if he can describe Jeff Weaver as unable to handle pressure and Kevin Brown as being a mess, that he put them in important playoff games? It makes no sense.

I haven't read "The Yankee Years" yet, and I will not buy a copy, as I don't want to put a penny into Joe Torre's pocket. As I never did get a review copy, I will have to read it from getting a waiting list copy at the library. Oh well.

Real-life obligations intruded on missing hearing Joeapalooza live on the radio yesterday. Heck, I even missed getting my Snuggie shipment. UPS didn't want to leave the box without me signing for it. And I can understand, because if the Snuggies walked off when I was away from home, I would be pretty peeved! Who can resist the temptation of the Snuggie?

Anyhow, I digress. Even without reading the book, I think I can comment a little on Joe's big day in New York City yesterday, and the fallout from the book.

First off, why are journalists surprised that most of the people on line for Torre's book signings think he's the cat's meow? How many people are going to wait hours on line, and plunk down 30 bucks, just to tell somebody they can't stand him? Not many.

Put it this way - Joe could be signing books across the street from me, and I'd still have to think long and hard about going to say something to him, if it would cost me money to buy his book!

What amazes me is that Torre is still trying to spin the A-Fraud description as a joking thing done to Alex's face, even though his own book says nothing of the sort. What, is he going to claim to be misquoted in his own book?

Joe did acknowledge yesterday that he probably shouldn't have told Randy Levine to "shut the bleep up" in 2003. Interestingly enough, they were on a conference call to discuss the fallout over David Wells' book!

"It's probably not the best idea in the world to tell the president of the ballclub to shut up," he said.

Guess that's why Torre was the highest-paid manager in the history of the game - because it took him six years to figure that out, and to wonder why Levine wasn't very fond of him after that. Sheesh.

Two of the dynasty-era Yankees commented on the book. Jorge Posada defended Joe:

"He's been a father figure to me. I don't think he can do any wrong," Posada said. "There's nothing that has been on the book that hasn't been written or talked about earlier or before."

Posada is such a solipsist. Just because he knew that - no joke - Kevin Brown once curled into the fetal position during a game doesn't mean that everybody knew it.

It also would be nice if Posada could be loyal to his current team. Joe may be a father figure to him, but he's not his manager anymore.

And Derek Jeter has - in a true shocker - come out and defended Alex Rodriguez:

"I'm just curious as to why people keep asking the same questions over and over. We've been down this road before. Alex is a teammate. I support him. Our whole team is behind him. We all support him. And we're looking forward to a new season. To be quite honest with you, it's old hearing the same questions. It's something that's been addressed before in the past. Everyone's moved beyond it. And it doesn't really need to be addressed again."

Maybe Jeter ought to ask Mr. T, as he calls him, why he felt compelled to write a book about his team which described A-R0d as a "Single White Female."

Anyhow, the most telling reaction yesterday was Brian Cashman refusing to comment on "The Yankee Years." Just wished Cash had not also said that the Yanks would be skipping going after Manny Ramirez. Bummer.

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

How much of a gamble is the Oliver Perez signing?

According to Ted Keith of Sports Illustrated, the Mets' deal for Oliver Perez is the only big money deal this offseason to be a "pricey gamble":

Each of the other free-agents who have signed similar big money deals this winter (Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, Francisco Rodriguez, Derek Lowe, Ryan Dempster and A.J. Burnett are the only ones to top Perez's dollars) have done so either as a reward for what they have done recently, or a projection of what it can be fairly well assumed they will do in the very near future. Perez, however, falls into neither category. Instead, in this winter of restraint, he is that rarest of commodities: a pricey gamble.

First of all, every big-money free-agent pitcher is a pricey gamble. And while Sabathia and K-Rod certainly have a track record of consistent success, are the other pitchers on this list that much safer than Perez, especially considering how much more they cost the $36 million for three years the Mets are giving Perez?

Sure, Lowe is a safer pitcher than Perez. Less upside, but also less downside. But with a four-year contract ending at age 39, there is definitely some downside. And at four years, $60 million, Lowe ended up costing $24 million more than Perez.

32-year-old A.J. Burnett has made more than 30 starts twice in the last six years. Burnett has been a good pitcher when healthy, but just like Perez, Burnett has never made an All-Star team or gotten a Cy Young vote. And at five years, $82 million, if the injury-prone Burnett is not a pricey gamble, then who is?

Finally, there's Ryan Dempster. Last year, Dempster was great - 17-6, 2.96 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 187 strikeouts. Dempster made the All-Star team and finished sixth in Cy Young voting.

But the last time Dempster had a good year was way back in 2000. He hadn't even been a starter since 2003, spending the last few years in the bullpen with very mixed results.

Last year, Dempster pitched 206 innings, the first time he had gone over 100 innings since 2003. Dempster pitched almost as many innings last year as in the previous three years combined.

A 31-year-old pitcher has his first good season in eight years and drastically increases his workload. And for that, Dempster gets four years at $52 million. That's not a pricey gamble?

Signing Perez doesn't address the problems in left field or second base. But it was no more of a "pricey gamble" than most of this year's free agent pitcher deals.

Tuesday is book day in Yankeeland, and a Sox fan weighs in

While today marks the official release of Joe Torre and Tom Verducci's "The Yankee Years," it also is release day for Jane Heller's delightful "Confessions of a She-Fan."She isn't just a best-selling reader - she's a Yankee fan and Squawker reader!

"Confessions of a She-Fan" is the real Yankee-related book readers should pick up today. I will write up my review soon, but in the meantime, I encourage you to check out this book, and her websites: Confessions of a She-Fan and JaneHeller.com.

On another note, Squawker reader/Red Sox fan Bob Ekstrom has some thoughts on the state of the Yankees. He also gave us a shout-out at BostonSportsMedia.com. Here's what he thinks of the Torre book.

From The Fens: Bad Stuff ’Bout The Yanks

Lightning crashes. An old writer dies.

In eulogizing John Updike, Big League Stew ascribes his essay on Ted Williams’ final game as perhaps the greatest of all time. ’Duk even links to a Harvard grad student’s blog to confirm it. Mind you, neither blogger in any way qualifies his superlative. It’s not the greatest baseball essay ever, but simply, the greatest.

Updike put the Lyric Little Bandbox in our ballpark on Yawkey Way and it’s a moniker we in New England endear. As venue nicknames go, we prefer it to The House That Ruth Built, seeing as it was the Red Sox who built Ruth in the first place, then sold him off to aid and abet our enemy. It should have been The House That Frazee Built all along.

No matter. Whoever built it, it’s in rubles now. No, not literally. But with his tell-all debut, Joe Torre accomplishes in one off-season what it took Red Sox Nation 86 years - and will take Mayor Bloomberg another 16 months - to do. He has razed The House That Ruth Built.

Torre may lack those Updikian traits the New York Times calls “protean and lyrical,” but times are different now. In an age of steroids, plasma TV, and when a movie like Saw can garnish four sequels, it’s clear we want to be hit over the head with our entertainment, not to have to pan for it through the prosaic dust of a bygone era. We need shock, and that’s why Torre’s tale will engage us.

Not since Chico Escuela has an author rattled the Apple to such a degree. But this isn’t about taking up two parking spaces or stealing Chico’s soap. This is an epic of betrayal, of name-slinging, of another man rubbing liniment on Roger Clemens’ testicles. Frankly, I’m not sure how anyone could even find Clemens’ testicles by now.

In a Red Sox Nation mocked by a tolerance of its eccentric superstars, Torre’s accounts will create backups stretching out to the curbs that front every bookstore from Harvard Square to Southie. We will relish this light of truth that exposes the Empire as a collection of a hundred Manny-doms of its own. We will relive with gusto that final day when Yankee brass let its greatest post-Stengel skipper flee the Bronx. And, with eyes wide open, we will see the dirty laundry of a team that is apparently no more sacrosanct than our own.

But even as we embrace its entertainment value, Yankee Fan should regard Torre’s work as a catharsis. Isn’t it far better to empty old Yankee Stadium’s bowels of these dark secrets than to transport them across East 161st where they would take up residence along with a legion of buried Big Papi shirts, destined to forever curse this fabled franchise from tucked-away shadows?

Nor should you slay the messenger; if it weren’t for Torre, your Got Rings? shirts would be far more stark. Of course, those tees wouldn’t exist were it not for Boston’s 2004 comeback against the Torre Bombers but, hey, it was Mo Rivera that persisted in throwing over to first to help Dave Roberts get warmed up, not Torre. And Lisa, we can’t blame him for not doing more to bring Jeter and A-Rod together when - from Verducci’s fingertips to our ears - St. Joe reportedly needed a crowbar to separate them.

Better make that from Torre’s mouth to our ears because, as of Friday, we can’t blame Verducci anymore. Joe acquitted him of any misinterpretation by ratifying his complete account on Larry King Live. So today, when we can finally read it for ourselves, there will be no doubt about the source. Nor the authenticity.

Lightning crashes. A new writer’s rise.

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

Mets hope Oliver Perez helps bring back glory days

Joel Sherman is reporting that the Mets have re-signed Oliver Perez. While there may not have been a Million Ollie March, this is news to celebrate, especially since, according to Sherman, the Mets held the contract to three years, without even an option for a fourth.

Whatever you may think of Derek Lowe, I'd rather have Ollie for three years at $36 million than Lowe, who is almost a decade older, for four years and $60 million. Not to mention A.J. Burnett at five years and $82 million. This is one contract that has no risk of crippling the Mets for years to come. The Yankees can afford to eat Burnett's contract if and when that becomes necessary. But only the Braves, who last year started with a rotation that included John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Mike Hampton, can sign Lowe, who will be 39 at the end of his deal, to get younger!

As for Manny Ramirez, I maintain that filling the rotation was a more critical need. Even with Ollie, the Mets' fifth starter is Tim Redding.

At the top of the rotation, you have Johan Santana and John Maine, who are both coming off offseason surgery, and Mike Pelfrey, who has yet to pitch at a high level for a full year.

With Perez, the Mets have four pitchers with the capability of having All-Star seasons and only one spot that has a good chance of being shaky.

Without Perez, they would still have a potentially strong top three, but there would be more pressure on all of them to perform at a high level with two-fifths of the rotation question marks.

Even if Santana wins 25 games, the Mets would be in trouble with both Tim Redding and Randy Wolf in the rotation. And Ben Sheets looks like too much of an injury risk.

Now the Mets have another lefty to face the Phillies and all their lefthanded stars. And last year, Perez allowed only ONE RUN in 26 innings against the Phillies (two games at home, two on the road).

Here again are Ollie's stats against the Phillies in 2008:

W-L: 1-0
ERA: 0.35
Innings: 26
Strikeouts: 27
Walks: 11
Hits: 17

With the rotation taken care of, the Mets do need to start looking more closely at their corner outfield situation. But relievers, starters and outfielders is the right priority.

After re-signing Perez, have the Mets had a successful offseason? Or do they still need to bring in another outfield bat? Tell us what you think.

Are the Yankees working on a dream for 2009?

It's that time of year again. The fans were so excited. The teams played their hearts out. The halftime show was a must-watch. Even the commercials were fun. Yes, Puppy Bowl V was something else!

Aside from wondering if Bruce Springsteen has like, 50 sets of black shirts, vests, and jeans in his closet, I'm also wondering who fans would like to see stay on the team -Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher? And if they think the Yanks should wade into the still-big free agent pool and pick up anybody else?

I just want to see the Yankees sign Manny Ramirez, after he decides he couldn't trust his current manager. And give ManRam No. 6 to wear. It would make my year.

What changes do you want to see? Leave us a comment.

Shocker! Joe Torre gets caught lying about A-Rod being A-Fraud

As several Squawker readers noted in our comments section yesterday, Joe Torre contradicted his own book regarding the use of the term "A-Fraud" in the clubhouse to describe Alex Rodriguez. Wonder if he's going to claim his book misstated the facts, now that he has been caught in a lie?

Here's what his book said (my emphasis added):

Back in 2004, at first Rodriguez did his best to try to fit into the Yankee culture - his cloying, B-grade actor best. He slathered on the polish. People in the clubhouse, including teammates and support personnel, were calling him "A-Fraud" behind his back.

And here's what Torre said on "Larry King Live":

"The A-Fraud thing was more of a joking type thing. I know Larry Bowa used to take him out to hit ground balls after he had a -- maybe a bad night or had made an error. And he says, 'Who is it today, is it A-Rod or A-Fraud,' you know? And it was right there in front of him. It wasn't like anything was said behind his back."

Co-author Tom Verducci recently criticized the tabloids for blowing the A-Fraud thing out of proportion. In a recent interview, he said:

It was funny to see the tabloids misrepresent the "A-Fraud" reference and still then chase down Pettitte and Damon about it; the term appears in the book in a very specifically defined manner: only in regard to guys in the clubhouse (not Torre) noticing that Alex was trying too hard to fit in, only in 2004, his first season in New York. Pettitte was playing in Houston and Damon in Boston that year!

And Bowa was managing in Philadelphia that year, so how would he know how the term was used?

I do find it funny that 1) Torre and Verducci literally can't keep their stories straight about the use of "A-Fraud" in the book, and 2) Verducci is complaining that the tabloids misrepresented what was in "The Yankee Years," given that the book describes A-Rod as a "cloying, B-grade actor" who "slathered on the polish"!

Later on today, I will show more examples of how Joe Torre misrepresented the contents of his book on "Larry King Live." But in the meantime, please tell us what you think!