Joe Torre, Field Manager of the New York Yankees

Joe Torre is the 2nd longest tenured manager in baseball today. He is also the longest tenured Yankees manager in my lifetime. By a lot. Since 1996 he has steered the team to the playoffs year after year, and during those first six years to the World Series five times, winning four of them. An impressive run worthy of comparison with great Yankee dynasties past.

There has been far less postseason success since winning the Subway Series against the Mets in 2001, but the team did manage to make the playoffs each year.

Perhaps more important than the winning, Joe Torre always made me feel proud to be a Yankees fan. The way he handled the team, the press, his bosses, disgruntled players, on-field incidents, off-field incidents -- he never once pulled a Billy Martin or Lou Piniella. There was never any panicking, no theatrics, no blaming of his players, his general manager, or anyone else. Torre was always in control of himself, and seemingly of every situation as well.

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner returned to his old crass, bullying form this weekend by announcing that if the Yankees lost to Cleveland in the playoffs, Torre would likely not be asked to return to manage the Yankees in 2008. Even in the face of this undeserved and ill-timed temper tantrum, Torre reacted gracefully and honestly.

Here's hoping that the Yankees "baseball brain trust" manage to shove that cork back in Steinbozo's mouth and offer Torre a new contract for 2008.