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Torre Is Still In Limbo

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The Associated Press

Published: October 17, 2007

TAMPA - Joe Torre's future with the Yankees remained unclear Tuesday after team officials gathered at the home of owner George Steinbrenner to debate whether the manager should return for a 13th season.

'The meetings are adjourned for tonight,' spokesman Howard Rubenstein said shortly after the session ended about 4 p.m. 'There have been no decisions made, nor will there be any comment today. The meetings will resume tomorrow.'

Steinbrenner told The Record of Hackensack, N.J., on Oct. 6 that he didn't think he'd bring back the manager if the Yankees failed to advance to the AL championship series. Cleveland then eliminated New York in four games, sending New York to its third straight first-round exit.

If Torre doesn't return, bench coach Don Mattingly is the leading contender to take over. Yankees broadcaster Joe Girardi, the NL Manager of the Year with the Florida Marlins in 2006, is another possibility.

The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., reported Tuesday that Mattingly told a member of the Steinbrenner family he does not feel ready for the manager's job and is uncomfortable with replacing Torre.

Ray Schulte, a spokesman for Mattingly, said the report was 'completely false, totally fabricated and took Don completely by surprise.'

'If and when a decision is made concerning Joe's future, Don will respond, at that time,' Schulte said in a statement. 'In the meantime, he wants what is best for Joe and the Yankee organization.'

STEROIDS PROBE: A lawyer for baseball players says George Mitchell never told the union before last week that he was willing to show its members evidence of doping allegations against them.

Mitchell, who has spent 1 1/2 years investigating the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, said Friday that he asked players to meet with him 'for the purpose of directly providing them with the evidence about the allegations and to give them a chance to respond.'

Union general counsel Michael Weiner said Tuesday that Mitchell only informed players of that stance during a meeting last week and in a letter Friday. Weiner wrote to the former Senate Majority leader on Tuesday asking him to clarify his position and to provide his timeframe for completing the investigation.

ANGELS: General Manager Bill Stoneman stepped down to become a consultant with the team and was replaced by player development director Tony Reagins.

Stoneman , 63, became the Angels' GM in November 1999 and helped build the team into a perennial contender.

Among Stoneman's significant moves was hiring the relatively inexperienced Mike Scioscia as manager before the 2000 season, signing pitcher Bartolo Colon in December 2003 and slugger Vladimir Guerrero in January 2004.

Reagins, who joined the Angels as an intern in 1992, has been player development director for six years.

RANGERS: Reliever Frank Francisco agreed to a one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration.

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