Joe Torre explained on Friday that he turned down the Yankees' contract offer the previous day because he didn't believe it would be good for him or for the team to have a manager without job security.
"I just felt that the terms of the contract probably was what I had the toughest time with," Torre said during a press conference held at the Rye Town Hilton, near his home in suburban Westchester County. "The one year ... the incentives; I had been there for 12 years and I felt the motivation wasn't needed.
"I just didn't think it was the right thing for me, or the right thing for my players. Whether they're on my side, or not on my side, any pressure caused by maybe the manager's going to lose his job, that pressure isn't needed when the goal is to win baseball games."
Torre, who in 12 seasons as manager guided the Yankees to four World Series titles, six American League pennants and a postseason berth in all dozen seasons, went to the club's Spring Training complex in Tampa, Fla., on Thursday, and ultimately declined a contract offer that would have paid him a base salary of $5 million, with $1 million bonuses for each level of the postseason the Yankees reached next season.
Those bonuses would have meant that Torre could have earned as much as $8 million in 2008. If the Yankees made it to the World Series next season, his contract would have vested for 2009, with a base salary of $8 million.
Torre, who opened his remarks by thanking owner George Steinbrenner "for giving me the opportunity, trusting me with his club the last 12 years," as well as players and coaches, said the Yankees hierarchy would not alter its offer.
"When I expressed my dissatisfaction with the length of contract ... I explained that and the incentives, which I took as an insult," Torre said. "If we hadn't started this run, being in five of the first six World Series, I don't know how to say that one is never enough, or two is never enough. You're constantly driving because you know that's the goal you've set for yourself.
"There really was no negotiating. I was hoping there would be."
The 67-year-old Torre, who has managed in the Major Leagues for 26 seasons, said a negotation might have led to a different result.
"I was obviously discouraged with the fact that they would never move off the offer they made, that they never got to a negotiation," he said. "I don't know if that was the purpose.
| ALL-TIME WINNINGEST MANAGERS | |
| 1. Connie Mack | 3,731 |
| 2. John McGraw | 2,763 |
| 3. Tony La Russa | 2,375 |
| 4. Bobby Cox | 2,255 |
| 5. Sparky Anderson | 2,194 |
| 6. Bucky Harris | 2,157 |
| 7. Joe McCarthy | 2,125 |
| 8. Joe Torre | 2,067 |
| 9. Walter Alston | 2,040 |
| 10. Leo Durocher | 2,008 |
"The most important thing for me -- sure, money's a part of it, and five million dollars is a lot of money, and I'm not going to make that this year, so I'm not taking it for granted -- but if someone is reducing your salary, it tells you that they're not satisfied with the job you're doing. ... Two years would have opened the door for further discussion, but it just never happened."
In a surprising turn of events on Thursday, it appeared that Torre and the Yankees might have been holding such negotiations, but when the club opened a late-afternoon conference call with reporters by saying that Torre was not in attendance, it marked the end of a run that will in all likelihood land Torre in the Hall of Fame.
"The decision stands on its own," club president Randy Levine said during the call. "We all believe as one that this was the best way to go. We obviously wanted Joe Torre to come back; that's why we made him the offer. We respect his decision not to go forward. We thought it was a fair offer."
The Yankees had just concluded two days of organizational meetings in Tampa in which, among other topics, they tackled the issue of who should serve as the club's manager next season.
Steinbrenner said in an Oct. 6 interview that Torre was not likely to be asked back if the Yankees failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs for the third consecutive season, and the club fell in four games to the Cleveland Indians days later.
Steinbrenner's son, Hank, defended the Yankee motto in a conference call with reporters from Tampa.
"The point is, the objective of the Yankees -- since the '20s -- has been to win the championship every year," Hank Steinbrenner said on Thursday. "Just ask what the objective of [Vince] Lombardi was, or [Bill] Belichick with the Patriots. None of us think we're going to win the championship every year, but that's the goal. Period."
Given the Yankees' history of bringing back managers during the ownership of George Steinbrenner, which began in 1973 -- Billy Martin had five stints as skipper, while Lou Piniella, Gene Michael and Bob Lemon each had two -- Torre was asked if he would consider returning if asked.
"I can't say that. I'm no fortune teller," Torre said. "I don't anticipate seeing that happen, based on the fact that if someone wanted me to be managing here, I'd be managing here. It was a generous offer but it still wasn't the type of commitment of trying to do something together, instead of, 'Let's see what you can do for me.'
"It's not totally money. It's commitment, and commitment is a two-way street."
Now, the Yankees will have a new face and voice in the dugout for 2008, the final season of the current Yankee Stadium before moving into a new facility across the street. The search to fill an hours-old managerial vacancy will commence immediately.
"This is a difficult day, because of respect for the work that this man has done," general manager Brian Cashman said on Thursday. "At the same time, we're all willing to undertake the challenge ahead of us to find the next man who's best suited to represent this franchise in that dugout. It's an enormous position."
And it was for Torre, who won six American League pennants and finished as the second-winningest manager in franchise history. By the close of his managerial tenure, Torre was extremely well-compensated for his service, earning $7.5 million for guiding the Yankees to a 94-victory season in 2007.
"I was very much in peace with my decision," Torre said.
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