On Joe Torre

Hey team, sorry for the lack of posts this week, just been caught up on some things at work and with business school applications.

I did want to take a moment to comment briefly on the Joe Torre situation. It probably goes without saying, but I couldn't be happier that he has officially backed out of the running for the skipper job with the Mets next season.

The last thing I want to see the Mets do is hire somebody who is so closely identified with a rival. It was tough, all those years, rooting for Tom Glavine; sure, you suck it up and do it when he's wearing your colors, but there's a little part of you that never forgets all the wars you've been through with that guy on the other side of the diamond.

Torre would have been a daily reminder of not just 2000, but of the nearly 15 years of Yankee dominance in this town.

Beyond that, we need someone who is in it for the long haul. I wouldn't want the Mets to start building something good and then all of a sudden lose their manager for no other reason than that he wanted to retire.

When he was fired by the Yankees, Casey Stengel said he'd never make the mistake of turning 70 again. He was still a damn good manager at the time. We don't want to be agist when it comes to Torre; if he can manage he can manage. But you really have to wonder: how many years does he have left?

He thought about retiring once, he's thinking about it again, why should we assume he has anything more than 3 years left in him?

It would be one thing if the Mets were knocking on the door, but we all know it's more likely that we're 2-3 years away from being serious contenders again (in a best case scenario).

I'd rather see us hire someone who can cultivate our young talent and grow alongside it. I don't know who that person is (Bobby V? Wally Backman?), but I don't think it's Torre.

It's not just a matter of finding a good manager, you have to find the right guy at the right time. Safe to say Joe Torre isn't that guy.

- A.F.O.M.G.