Buckle Up! It's Gonna Be a Bumpy Winter

And the madness has already begun. First, the Daily News came out with "sources" claiming Torre was toast; that Darth Boss George wanted him gone and planned to bring back (a la Billy Martin) Lou Pinella, for Sweet Lou's third go-round managing the Yanks.

That particular move made no sense to me, so I considered it highly possible. After all, we're taking about the Bronx Zoo here; sense is quite often an alien concept to this organization (see Johnson, Big Unit Asshole and Pavano, Brittle and Stupid to Boot and... well, pick your fave; there's plenty more examples of crazy moves).

Anyhoo, this morning has the NY Post bannering Joe Won't Go!, claiming they have learned from their own set of "sources" that after mucho soul searching and consultations with his "Inner Circle" and others, including GM Brian Cashman, that Joe won't be going anywhere... yet. There's a presser scheduled for one this afternoon, where this matter will finally be officially put to rest.

For the unitiated, "Inner Circle" roughly translates to The Tampa Mafia, the Yanks' executive suite group of backstabbing bastards housed in the Yankees' Legends Field complex down Florida way. Chief Mafiosi is a clown named Connor, a so-called "pitching guru" who, as far as I can tell, hasn't got anyone he can tout as an example of his "brilliance" at developing (I saw Wang when he played NY/Penn single-A rookie ball for the Baby Bombers here on Staten Island; Connor had nothing to do with that kid. One look and you knew he had the goods fresh off the Taiwan flight) or rehabbing problem pitchers (again, see Pavano, and a couple of others... oh, and your most recent, sage "guru" move, deciding to dump El Duque... that really worked out well, didn't it, you fat hoary-assed fuck!)

Meet The New Boss!
I think ALL these "sources" are members of two factions that are going to have a war before any moves are made this winter, and Torre's status was the opening battle. It's the old guard Tampa Mafia on one side, and DBG's heir apparent, Yankee general partner (and DBG son-in-law) Steve Swindal and his guys on the other side. Swindal is tight with the New York guys, like Torre, Cash, and "Stick" Michael. After last season's playoff implosion, Cashman and Torre demanded the mobsters stop their meddling and backstabbing bullshit--many times through the press, especially Lupica and the other Daily News hacks. Cashman was ready to walk if he didn't get that concession.

DBG agreed, and I have to believe that decision, along with not hanging Torre after the team's second consecutive first round meltdown, was Swindal's doing. Steinbrenner really ain't Darth Boss George anymore. If he was, Torre's ass would have been fired last year. I think the planting of the "Torre's getting canned" story was the Tamp Mafia pushing to regain their juice in the organization, and Swindal smacked them into the gutter the minute he got wind of their latest parlay. While they once had a maddening hold on DBG's ear, Swindal has something way more hardcore when it comes to George: Steinbrenner's daughter is wearing the man's ring. He is family, and DBG has already decided to pass Swindal the crown.

As Drudgiepoo says: Developing....