This is classic! Boss: Coaching jobs are on the line Never mind that the New York Yankees have the best record in the American League, and the third best mark in the majors. Never mind that the Yankees have a 2½-game lead on the Red Sox in the AL East heading into the second game of their series Saturday afternoon. Owner George Steinbrenner is fuming -- again. The Yankees have not played well of late and were routed by Pedro Martinez and archrival Boston Friday night. As far as the Boss is concerned, the skies are never clear in Yankeeland. During last night's loss, a clearly frustrated Steinbrenner told The New York Post that all the coaches' jobs will be in jeopardy if the Yankees do not win the World Series this year. Primarily, that the jobs of manager Joe Torre and general manager Brian Cashman. Steinbrenner told the newspaper he is angrier at Torre's coaching staff now than in the offseason, when he said: "I think they better be a little uneasy." Steinbrenner stated yesterday that the coaches are safe through the end of this season, and made it clear how Torre can protect them: "If he [Torre] turns it around and wins everything, what can I say?" Steinbrenner did not name names, but "they know who they are." He has been critical of hitting coach Rick Down, pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre and bench coach Don Zimmer behind closed doors, according to the Post. Many Yankees have struggled at times this season, including Alfonso Soriano, Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui, Bernie Williams, David Wells, Jeff Weaver and Andy Pettitte, who failed to get out of the third inning on Friday. Though most players struggle at times during the 6-month-long season, these players' troubles have been magnified simply because they are Yankees. Steinbrenner has not been totally pleased with Cashman either. The Boss implored the GM to sign free agent David Ortiz in the offseason, but Cashman already had first basemen Jason Giambi and Nick Johnson in the fold. Ortiz signed with the Red Sox, and has had a breakout season (.294, 25 HR, 85 RBI), doing much damage to the Yankees. Steinbrenner also said that Torre should take a tougher stand with the players when they are struggling. "We can't be hugging players when they are doing dumb things," he told the newspaper. "Maybe the hugging time is over. We need to get tough." link: The fact that Joe Torre has done the job that he has is proof to me that he should never be fired. I can't believe that I am going to say this, but I actually feel sorry for some of these Yankee coaches.
I'd be a dancing machine if McCarver and Stockton didn't pull out every no hitter jinx imaginable during broadcast.
