Torre Tells it Like it is

Joe Torre struggled through his statement, obviously somewhat overwhelmed by his emotions, as he reminisced about his 12 years as Yankees manager. He first thanked George Steinbrenner for his 12 years and the wonderful opportunity he had. He then thanked his good friend Arthur Richmond for recommending him to George.

Torre went on to thank the players, coaches, support people, training staff, and of course the fans. He reiterated how he could feel the fans' hearts beating.

Joe then discussed the contract offer and what went on yesterday. After Brian Cashman called with the offer, Torre decided he wanted to meet face-to-face with upper management. He wanted to tell "his side of the story". The meeting only lasted 20 minutes.

As for the contract, he had an issue with the 1 year, and the incentives..motivation was not needed. He took the incentives as an insult. He said he knew what was expected every year. He didn't think the contract was the right thing for him or his players.

In response from questions - The Yankees never asked what it would take for him to come back. Would not say if he thought the offer was made so he would refuse. He left it up to the media to decide.

Torre realized $5 million was a lot of money and he would never take it for granted, but a pay cut means someone is not satisfied with your progress. Had 2 years been guaranteed, it would have made things more palatable. He said there was no waivering by the front office as far as negotiating the deal.

The nature of the offer didn't surprise him since so much time had passed before it was offered.

Torre said what he'll miss the most is the day-to-day interaction with the players and media.

He got a chuckle from the media when asked who would he recommend to replace him. He replied, "I don't think I'm the right guy to recommend anyone. I just lost my job". He would not mention specific names, because he did not want to help or hurt anyone. He did say what some of the characteristics are to handle the job.

Was complimentary about George Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman, but skirted the issue of Randy Levine, saying he really didn't deal with him.

Torre is not feeling total love towards the Yankees though, as he couldn't "comment right now" when asked if he would participate in any future ceremonies (i.e. throwing out a 1st pitch).

As for regrets, he said that he should have been more proactive in game 2 of the ALDS to get the game stopped during the bug attack. He also defended his decisions for the 2004 ALCS.

When asked if George was still part of the "process", Torre confirmed that George was at the meeting and was a participant.

Torre has heard from several of his players, though he didn't want to mention names. He would consider managing again, but it would really depend on the situation. When asked, he said he was "free to listen right now" to any potential offers.