EEE会議（余興：　トーリ監督のストーブ・リーグ戦略）.....................................................031102

ワールド・シリーズと日本シリーズが終わって、日米でストーブ・リーグが始まって
います。　日本では巨人ジャイアンツのなべつね（オーナー）と原（前監督）の軋轢
が話題になりましたが、米国の大リーグでもいろいろ派手にやっているようです。　
ワール・ドシリーズで惜敗したNYヤンキーズでも、スタインブレナー（オーナー）と
トーリ（監督）が目下盛んに綱引きをしているようです。　トーリは来シーズン、松
井をレフトからセンターにコンヴァートする計画だとか。興味のある方は、New York
Timesのスポーツ記事(11/1)をどうぞ。

*************************************


Torre Tells His Boss to Stop Meddling
By TYLER KEPNER

Published: November 1, 2003


Yankees Manager Joe Torre has a message for George Steinbrenner: Be quiet.
Or, perhaps more delicately, be supportive. Steinbrenner, the team's
principal owner, invited Torre to the team's organizational meetings this
week in Tampa, Fla. Torre said he used the setting to make a point to his
boss.

"I talked about some of the things I didn't appreciate, as far as some of
the statements and things that went on all year," Torre said during a
conference call yesterday, speaking publicly for the first time since last
Saturday, the night the Yankees lost the World Series to the Florida
Marlins. "It was basically a one-sided conversation. The fact is I said
something I needed to say and did it, I'd like to believe, in a diplomatic
way."

Whenever he was asked about Steinbrenner during the season, Torre would say
that the only difference was the meddling was more public this season. One
of Torre's greatest strengths as a manager has been keeping distractions out
of the clubhouse, but Steinbrenner's jabs made that harder than ever.

Steinbrenner, who could not be reached for comment yesterday, has repeatedly
said that Torre will return as manager in 2004. It is the final season of
Torre's three-year, $16.5 million contract, and Torre is not sure he will
stay any longer. He seems eager to see how Steinbrenner acts next season.

"This is the last year of my contract," Torre said. "I certainly am not
politicking for an extension. I do not know if I'm going to do it after this
year. But I'm looking forward to this next year. Hopefully all the baseball
and all the good things that happen on the field will offset what happens
off the field.

"I don't know what those are going to be; none of us do. It was a little
unusual this year. But when you own the ball club and you spend the money
Mr. Steinbrenner spends, you understand the frustration. But I hope
everybody is understanding of what it takes to win on a regular basis. I'm
not complaining about it. I know we've been there every year. But I want to
let people know it's not that easy."

Steinbrenner, who authorized a payroll of roughly $180 million in an effort
to win the World Series, is well known for accepting nothing short of a
championship. The Marlins beat the Yankees in six games, but Torre refused
to call the season a failure.

"To me, getting to the World Series is first and foremost in our mind,"
Torre said. "Losing the World Series is unfortunate, but over all, I'd have
to say that it was a successful year."

Torre said he talked mostly about the coaching staff at the Tampa meetings,
and he supported the decision to fire the hitting coach, Rick Down. Torre
said players might pay more attention to a new hitting coach, even if that
coach gives the same advice as Down.

"In spite of my personal feelings for Rick Down and how hard he works, we
felt maybe a change could benefit us," Torre said. "It was a very tough call
to make, but something I wasn't going to object to."

If Steinbrenner fires other coaches, Torre will not support the decision.
Torre indicated that he wanted Lee Mazzilli, Rich Monteleone and Willie
Randolph to return. "We made two changes, with Zim leaving and Rick Down
being replaced," Torre said. "Everyone else, as far as I'm concerned, will
still be wearing the uniform."

Torre has spoken with Don Zimmer since the World Series ended, and he
believes that Zimmer will follow through on his intention to quit.

Mel Stottlemyre, the pitching coach, strongly implied during the season that
he believed Steinbrenner would fire him, but Torre said the job was
Stottlemyre's if he chose to return. "It is up to Mel," Torre said. "We
certainly want him back. Everybody was on board as far as that goes."

The Yankees have focused on Luis Sojo, Don Mattingly and Joe Girardi as the
top candidates to fill the coaching vacancies, but Torre said he would not
participate in the selection process. He indicated that he did not want to
be blamed if a coach displeased Steinbrenner.

"Unless I have serious objections, it's probably easier for me to have
someone else make that decision, as opposed to having it said that I picked
the guy and it isn't working out," Torre said. "I'd rather concentrate on
baseball than have to deal with that stuff."

Torre made no commitments about player moves, although he said the Yankees
could shift Bernie Williams to left field ? with Hideki Matsui presumably
moving to center ? and shift Alfonso Soriano from second base to the
outfield. "A lot of those decisions are up in the air, depending on the
personnel we're getting," he said.

Torre said he had faith in starter Jeff Weaver, but acknowledged that Weaver
must overcome the negativity generated by his poor season. "If he's in our
rotation, we certainly have a job on our hands to show him we have
confidence in him," he said.

INSIDE PITCH

The Yankees and pitcher ANDY PETTITTE do not seem close to a new contract,
despite the team's exclusive negotiating window with him through Nov. 10.
"Nothing new to report," his agent, RANDY HENDRICKS, said in an e-mail
message, "and nothing likely to change in the next week." . . . The Yankees
declined the options on the right-handed reliever ANTONIO OSUNA and the
left-handed reliever GABE WHITE.