By Vincent Mercogliano

I’m going to be completely honest. I had no intention of writing about the Yankees this week, but Game 4 ended about an hour ago and I just can’t get my mind on track.

I can’t stop feeling guilty. I am sad, but I am overwhelmingly feeling guilt. And it’s not because I got all of my playoff predictions wrong last week. As I was watching the post-game press conference after the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs by the Cleveland Indians, something clicked. As poorly as the Yankees have done in the playoffs since 2004 (I shouldn’t have to repeat what happened in 2004), Joe Torre should not be fired.

Since I’m being honest, I’m willing to admit that when I first heard about Yankee owner George Steinbrenner’s comments, which basically indicated that Torre’s job was in serious jeopardy if they lost to Cleveland, I didn’t think much of it. It’s not as if we haven’t come to expect ultimatums from the Boss. The Yankees were down 0-2 and on the brink of elimination and I thought maybe it is time for a new voice, this team isn’t showing up. Then the Yankees came out and won Game 3 which gave all Yankee fans some hope. Johnny Damon, who went 3-4 with 4 RBIs and hit the go-ahead home run, made a point to defend Joe Torre after the game and go on record saying he wanted him back. It had to make you think: if nothing else, these players love Torre. Enough that Damon felt it was important to address it in the midst of a playoff series. Unfortunately, Game 4 was a different story. Cleveland got off to an early lead and although the Yankees racked up 13 hits, they left runners on in all but two innings and eventually lost 6-4. As I sat on my couch dumbfounded, Joe Torre’s press conference came on. Joe was in a very reflective mood; talking about experiences in the playoffs from the 90’s when the Yankee’s won 4 of 5 World Series and it seemed like he thought this might be the end of the road. It just didn’t seem right.

I know many Yankee fans feel a championship is long overdue considering the caliber of the players on the team. But Joe Torre has led this team to the playoffs in 12 consecutive seasons. Before this year it had been more than 12 seasons since the Phillies and the Rockies had last seen the playoffs. He’s also great at handling adversity. This team could have easily given up when they were counted out after the first half of the season, but under Torre they fought back and had the best second half record of any team in baseball. You could even see when he deals with the press; he is the epitome of class. I can’t remember one angry post-game tirade from Joe Torre; he’s always had a calming, business-like influence on this team.

I know his demeanor has been criticized, many people feel he needs to be fiery and ignite this team when necessary. But can you really blame this team’s failures on lack of effort? Torre can’t make them hit in the clutch, and he sure can’t go out there and pitch. In baseball, more so than any of the four major sports’, coaching has the least significant impact on the game. A manager sets a lineup, decides when to change pitchers and once in a while calls a play such as a bunt or a hit-and-run. But when A-Rod steps into the batters the box, the game is out of Joe Torre’s control. The game often comes down to an individual player’s performance in a given situation. Obviously Torre can make a decision within the game that hurts the team, but every decision he makes usually comes down to that player’s execution. In football, a team will practice the coach’s game plan all week and before each play the coaches decide exactly what they want their players to do. If a football coach wants to throw deep, their team is going to throw deep. Joe Torre can’t stop Jason Giambi from swinging at a 3-2 slider in the dirt. The point is I think players need to be held accountable for their loss, more so than Torre. He didn’t stray from anything that worked in the regular season; he stuck with his guns that got him there. Who knew that Chien-Ming Wang’s sinker would suddenly hang up in the zone? Who would have thought that Captain Clutch Derek Jeter would ground into three double plays in two home games? You just can’t predict baseball.

“It’s not Joe’s fault,” Alex Rodriguez said. “We’ve got the most prepared coaching staff and the best manager in the game. It’s on us, the players.”

I think the deciding reason to keep Joe is simple; just look at how many Yankees’ have stepped up to defend him. Other than A-Rod and Johnny Damon, we’ve heard it from other veterans such as Derek Jeter, Roger Clemens and Jorge Posada. Big-game pitcher Andy Pettitte went as far as to say if Joe goes there’s a good chance he will too. But perhaps more importantly is the fact that we’ve heard similar comments from the young up-and-coming Yankees such as pitching prizes Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain. Torre is admired and respected by the vast majority (if not all) of the players in that locker room. They trust him and kicking him out the door might result in many of the current Yankee players losing trust in the organization. The Yankees are in jeopardy of losing key components such as free agents to be Mariano Rivera, Posada, Pettitte and A-Rod; all of whom have publicly supported Torre. Would the Yankees be better off without out Torre and those crucial players? I’d venture to say no.

Here’s how I see it. Wouldn’t it be fitting that in the last year in the old Yankee Stadium (which is next year), the Yankees finish it out with one of the most successful managers in the history of sports most successful franchise? Next year will be the first full year in the majors for top pitching prospects Hughes, Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy, who all proved to be ready to seriously contribute. In fact, one could argue that their impact was the propelling factor that pushed the Yankees to their 13th consecutive playoff berth. If the Yankees can keep their core together and benefit from the growth of the youngsters, the Yankees could have a great shot at sending Joe out on top. After the game ended a friend of mine from Philadelphia commented to me: “Any manager that won four world championships in Philly would get to leave on his own terms and have his statute next to Rocky’s.” All I ask is this Mr. Steinbrenner: Give Joe one more year. You know he deserves it.