A Split In The Making: Yanks' Skipper Declines Job Offer

Earlier today, the New York Yankees' manager Joe Torre said goodbye to the Bronx. The skipper's 12-year legacy in the Bronx, which included 12 postseason appearances and 4 World Series championships, couldn't be prolonged despite an enticing 5-million-dollar contract for the '08 season, including an additional million dollars for each time Torre and the Yanks progressed in the postseason. All tolled, Torre could've conceivably raked in 8 million dollars, making him 2 million richer than Lee Majors' fictitious character Steve Austin.

Though many sports journalists have only been painting a less than rosy picture of the Steinbrenner-Torre relationship in the past year, their union has been strained for quite some time. One might even say, if the evidence were readily available, that Torre's departure was a long time in the making . . .

1.) The relationship began to turn sour when Torre, a well-known cheapskate, patronized a Super 8 Motel in Tampa, Florida instead of staying at the boss-owned Steinbrenner Ramada Inn in Ocala, Florida when he was on vacation with his family in February of 2004. What Torre saved during that week in February by vacating a room at "The 8" was an estimated $24.75 per night.
* Steinbrenner's Ramada (top) got the Torre shaft for the Super 8.

2.) In 2005, when George Steinbrenner's horse Bellamy Road was the favorite to win the Kentucky Derby, Torre accurately bet the winning superfecta (Giacomo, Closing Argument, Afleet Alex, and Don't Get Mad) and won $113,184.60. As for poor old Bellamy, he finished seventh and was turned into glue.
* Bellamy Road neither won, place nor showed at the '05 Kentucky Derby much to Joe Torre's delight and George Steinbrenner's disgust.

3.) In 2006 the Yankees' head honcho was reported to have called Joe Torre an "Abe Vigoda-looking son-of-a-bitch guinea!" after the Bombers lost a game to the lowly Kansas City Royals. Torre, who caught wind of the comment from one of his moles, retaliated, calling Steinbrenner a "Partridge Family manager-looking son-of-a-bitch kraut!"
* Steinbrenner struck first, saying that Torre resembles elderly actor Abe Vigoda of television's Barney Miller.
* Torre struck back, comparing his boss to actor Dave Madden, who played Ruben Kincaid, the manager on The Partridge Family.

4.) This year Steinbrenner, whose players have been wearing their hair to his liking for quite some time, became bored with his lack of demands on his staff's appearance. Tired with merely grumbling at GM Brian Cashman for wearing short-sleeve dress shirts, Steinbrenner decided to have words with Torre about wearing his hat too low. He accused the manager of looking "too sinister." In retaliation, Torre often donned his cap high on his dome.
* Torre began wearing his hat low this season (above), but he switched to a polar opposite look (below) to irritate Steinbrenner.

Goodbye Mr. Joseph Torre. Hopefully, at the age of 68, you'll enjoy your retirement and not decide to join some fledgling franchise. Look at it this way: You left the boss with egg on his face by turning down his multi-million-dollar deal. The five-time fired Billy Martin you ain't! Cheers, Joe!