“Charming man,” observed Joe Torre, speaking of George Steinbrenner, the majority owner of the Yankees.
How is that, Joe?
“You can see the fire. He hates to lose. Over the course of the years, every time you read something about George in the newspaper I’d hear people say, `Boy, I wouldn’t want to work for that guy!’
“And I’d say, `I would.’ “
Torre, at 55, was named last November as the 31st field manager in Yankee history, No. 13 during the tumultuous Steinbrenner reign.
“This is the best team I’ve ever had,” said Torre, who also has managed the Mets, Atlanta and St. Louis. “I was sitting in my office yesterday and David Cone, Doc Gooden and Jimmy Key walked by. What a nice feeling.”
While other clubs are scratching for quality pitchers, Torre has an abundance.
“We have seven starters,” he said. “If we’re healthy, we’ll have the best pitching in the American League.”
No club needs seven starters. Five is more than ample. Torre plunged through the list: Cone, Key, Kenny Rogers, Andy Pettitte, Gooden, Scott Kamieniecki and Melido Perez.
If pitching is 70 percent of the game, as is often said, the Yankees should win the AL East breezing.
Torre hedged.
“We still have to win it on the field,” he said.
There is no question the Yankees appear to have outstanding pitching depth. Still, Cone and Rogers, a free agent previously with the Texas Rangers, are the only established starters with good medical histories. Cone won 18 games last season, Rogers 17.
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There is no telling what is ahead for Gooden or Key. A one-time golden boy with the Mets, Gooden hasn’t pitched in two years. Key worked only 30 innings last season before he went down with a shoulder injury that required surgery.
The Yankees were the AL wild card last year and may do as well or better this season. And, at last count, had a $51 million player payroll, approximately twice as much as the average. Bossman Steinbrenner makes money, but he also spends it and has put together almost as strong a team as money can buy.
Still, there are an uncommonly large number of new pieces. Third baseman Wade Boggs, at the moment, is the only infield holdover. Don Mattingly, the All-Star first baseman, is retired at least for one season. The starting shortstop and second baseman are on the injured list.
Tino Martinez, late of the Seattle divisional champions, is the new first baseman; Joe Girardi, late of the Colorado Rockies, is the new catcher. Derek Jeter, a rookie, will open at short and either Andy Fox or Mariano Duncan, both newcomers to the Yankees, will get the call at second.
Except for Tim Raines, acquired from the White Sox, the outfield is recognizable. Paul O’Neill will be in right and Bernie Williams in center. Ruben Sierra, normally the DH, is expected to play left until Raines returns.
“We can hit and we’ll have to catch the ball,” Torre conceded. “We don’t have a lot of power. But we can manufacture runs. We have a lot of good contact hitters who don’t strike out. The pitching should be our strong suit.”
Cone, 33, is the ace of the staff and hasn’t missed a turn since ’87. He will work the opener against Cleveland and is the best all-around pitcher this side of Greg Maddux. He has devoted much of the spring trying to get his fastball to sink.
Cone also is entering the season with what he calls “peace of mind.” He has been with six clubs in the last nine seasons, two of them twice, but before rolling over and re-signing with the Yankees, he asked Steinbrenner for and received a total of $18 million and a three-year no-trade clause.
Cone enjoys doing business with Steinbrenner.
“We know he’s tough,” Cone said. “He does whatever he thinks has to be done to win. If it has to be a tradeoff, then the upside is a lot better than the downside.”
Torre sees it the same way. Torre has known Steinbrenner for 20 years, since his rookie managerial season with the Mets in 1977.
“People have said to me, `What are you going to do when George says do this, do that?’ ” he said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do but I’ll handle it when the time comes.”
Torre said he has liked and admired Steinbrenner since they first met.
“What can be done to me that hasn’t already been done?” Torre asked. “I’ve been fired three times. Then last winter, I get a call. He wants me to be his manager. I relish the opportunity.”