While the Yankees are busy trying to figure out why CC Sabathia turns into Jaret Wright every time he faces the Red Sox, and waiting for Jesus Montero to rise from Triple-A to save them, a former batboy for the team is dishing on life behind-the-scenes at Yankee Stadium—including Derek Jeter's easy going nature, A-Rod's high-maintenance foibles, Hideki Matsui's inadvertent catchphrases, and Joe Torre's obsession with horses. more ›

What do former Yankees manager Joe Torre and new Mets general manager Sandy Alderson have in common? It certainly isn't good timing: while Torre took the reins of the Yankees at the start of their resuscitation as the best team in baseball, Alderson took over in the midst of the Madoff mess, and is suffering through it now. But according to reports, Torre will be named the new as MLB's executive vice president for baseball operations, the job Alderson held before getting cajoled into the accepting the Mets job. more ›

In the wake of a state panel recommending against granting a waiver to allow Cathie Black to become NYC Schools Chancellor, the NY Times reports that Mayor Bloomberg's administration tried—in secret— to seek a compromise with the state: "State officials proposed that City Hall consider the second appointment to settle concerns about Ms. Black’s lack of experience in education, these people said Wednesday. But talks fell apart by Tuesday, and that afternoon David M. Steiner, the education commissioner, hardened the state’s position by saying publicly that he was disinclined to approve Ms. Black unless she had an official with education experience to help her run the system." more ›

Last night, the Yankees paid tribute to their late bombastic leader, George Steinbrenner, by unveiling a monument of him at their new stadium. And, in fitting fashion, his monument is the biggest at Memorial Park, "measuring 7 feet across and 5 feet high across its bronze face and weighing 760 pounds...With 35 square feet across its face, and looking like a wide-screen television, it dwarfs monuments to Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Manager Miller Huggins, which are 2 feet by 3 feet, or 6 square feet," according to the Bats blog. more ›

Joe Torre announced today that he was retiring as manager of the struggling LA Dodgers. The team immediately named former Yankee and current hitting coach Don Mattingly as his replacement. Torre has managed the Dodgers since the 2008 season, and coached the Yankees to four World Series titles in 12 years as their head coach. Torre turned 70 in July and has a 2,318-1,990 regular-season record in 29 major league seasons as a manager. Mattingly was the bench coach with the Yankees in 2007, and hoped to replace Torre as manager, but lost out to Joe Girardi; instead, he followed Torre to LA, as his heir apparent. It's unclear currently whether Torre is retiring from managing entirely or not. more ›

The All-Star Game just offered a moment of silence in tribute to Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. Since news of the larger-than-life figure's death this morning, past and present players, managers, colleagues, and politicians have been offering their condolences to the Steinbrenner family and thoughts on The Boss. Yogi Berra, who was fired as manager after just 16 games in 1985, said today, "George was 'The Boss,' make no mistake. He built the Yankees into champions, and that's something nobody can ever deny. He was a very generous, caring, passionate man. George and I had our differences, but who didn't? We became great friends over the last decade and I will miss him very much." more ›

On Friday Yankees fans will be confronted with the strange sight of Joe Torre sitting in the opposite dugout wearing his familiar #6, but trying to bring a victory to the Los Angeles Dodgers. It will be the first time the Yankees play their former manager and the first time they face a manager who won a World Series for them since Billy Martin was managing the A’s in the early 80’s more ›

What's up with the Yankees and text messaging? We always hear of A-Rod texting: checking in with manager Joe Girardi, flirting with Madonna, and even LOLing with Pete Rose. But apparently his infield neighbor and new all-time record holder for most hits in club history, Derek Jeter, loves getting down with some T9 as well. After Jeter broke the big record Friday night, reporters naturally checked in with his old manager, Joe Torre. When asked if he had phoned to congratulate his former rookie phenom, Torre said, "I didn't call him...I texted him. That's his favorite thing. I've got to get into that young stuff." Much like all of Jeter's other longtime acquaintances, Torre went on to shower him with praise in abundance. He said, "He's a special kid. The person he is, to me, means a great deal. That's really something to be proud of, the respect he has for the game and his teammates. He's a leader but not that 'rah, rah.'...He doesn't have the power I know that George (Steinbrenner) likes to refer to as a Yankee. ... Just the tenacity, the determination. He's not afraid to win." more ›

Former Yankees manager Joe Torre was in town to push his new (and #1 on Amazon) book about his time with the Yankees, aptly titled, The Yankee Years. At the Barnes & Noble where he signed copies for fans, Torre downplayed the controversy surrounding the tome, telling reporters, "It's the most memorable time of my career. There were good years and bad years - but even the bad years weren't too bad." more ›

Joe Torre stopped by Larry King Live last night to discuss the new #1 bestselling book on Amazon, "The Yankee Years." The controversial memoir has been drawing headlines over the last week due to Torre's candor in criticizing his former pinstriped players. Last night Torre stood by everything that's thus far been attributed to him, but suddenly the haymakers that he was throwing off the sports pages in block quotes came across like love taps through his laid back, punch-drunk demeanor. more ›

The other night, the new Yankee Stadium was captured illuminating the Bronx sky with a spectrum of colors not seen previously coming out of the team's old home right alongside the Major Deegan. But elsewhere, the talk amongst the team was still about stories coming out of the old clubhouse hallways through the pages of Joe Torre's memoir "The Yankee Years." more ›

After yesterday's local headlines screaming that Joe Torre had ripped his former Yankee associates in his new memoir "The Yankee Years," today scribes continued to dig for dirt between the two sides. They weren't getting it from GM Brian Cashman, who told them that Torre called him from Hawaii to smooth things over yesterday, unsolicited. The GM emphasized, "He was a fantastic manager and you couldn't ask for any more than what he did for us." Then there's A-Rod, Derek Jeter's superstar stalker and pre-Madonna prima donna, who suffers a few digs in Torre's book. Torre reveals he told Rodriguez to at least get his own coffee, only to have the slugger then show off his self-purchased cup of joe to his manager. Torre says, The point was to just be one of the guys. He didn't get it." A friend of ARod's tells the Post that the book is a "final act of desperation" and that "Alex's reaction is he hasn't received a signed copy yet." more ›

The local tabloids are foaming at the mouth with the first revelations from former Yankee skipper Joe Torre's soon to be released tell-all book about his time with the team. Torre was famous for his stoicism in his decade as manager and for keeping drama to a minimum, a notable feat among the New York sports media. But initial word is that Torre's memoir lets off some steam after his unceremonious exit last year by taking swipes at ARod, GM Brian Cashman and not surprisingly, the Steinbrenners. more ›

Hank Steinbrenner won’t like it, but Don Mattingly thinks the Yankees missed Joe Torre this year. Mattingly told reporters, "You listen to them talk, and I don't think they realized what Joe did for them for so long [12 playoff appearances], how special he is at what he does." Mattingly also added, "I think they sort of took him for granted, didn't realize all the things he brings to the table as a manager. You've seen it here with the Dodgers this year.” Of course, adding Manny Ramirez at the trading deadline probably helped the Dodgers make the playoffs too. For his part, Torre handled the issue of the Yankees missing the playoffs with his typical class, "I don't take satisfaction in the Yankees being eliminated.” It’s impossible to say if the season would have turned out differently with Torre in charge, but Yankees’ fans will have plenty of time to see him in the playoffs. more ›

Even so, he couldn't match Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley, who walked four and struck out four Mets, including David Wright twice. A Moises Alou single accounted for the Mets' only run. Perez, whose struggles have earned the wrath of closer Billy Wagner, may just be a headcase. Manager Willie Randolph said Perez, "kept us relatively in the ballgame after a shaky start, but the gopher balls hurt him." That's a fair assessment, though what does "relatively in the ballgame mean"? After a slow start, Joe Torre's Dodgers are 18-14 and look like they will be a factor all season. Nelson Figueroa takes on Hiroki Koruda on Tuesday night before a day game Wednesday. more ›

Okay, Mets manager Willie Randolph hasn't been in pinstripes for a while, but this photograph of him saying hi to new Dodgers manager Joe Torre just seems like something from the bizarro world - not that there's anything wrong with that! Randolph, who was a Yankees coach under Torre, said, "It was a little strange, a little different. But I told him, 'You look good in any uniform.'" more ›

For the Giants, the opening of free agency saw them lose three players. Kawika Mitchell went to the Bills, Reggie Torbor to the Dolphins and Gibril Wilson to the Raiders. The loss of Wilson will hurt the most, but remember he was once a fifth-round pick. GM Jerry Reese proved last year that he is very good drafting players and won’t overpay in the free agent market, so don’t panic the Super Bowl champs will be just fine. more ›

The news just gets worse and worse for Roger Clemens. A day after Congress asked the Justice Department to investigate whether Clemens lied about performance enhancing drugs in testimony, the FBI announced that it is leading the inquiry. Clemens is about to learn that you can’t intimidate the FBI with a 95-mph fastball. They won’t back down if you throw a piece of a broken bat at them. Glare at them all you want, it won’t deter them from their job. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: serious trauma at Attorney and Houston Sts. in Manhattan, a water rescue at 1st St. and Astoria Blvd. in Queens, and a gas leak on Kingsland Ave. in Brooklyn.
• The NYPD and FDNY collaborated yesterday to put divers in the dark and frigid waters off a jetty at Orchard Beach in the Bronx, in order to rescue a 14-year-old boy trapped in the rocks of the jetty as high tide encroached. They were successful and none of the rescuers was injured.
• Newark hasn't experienced a single murder in more than 30 days, the longest stretch of non-killing since 1963.
• An entire Queens family--mom, dad, son, daughter, and son-in-law--were arrested this week for running a family cocaine distribution business out of their quiet home.
• The freaks of Coney Island's past, present, and possible future.
• Joe Torre all decked out in his Dodger blue and white uniform.
• Al Sharpton digs to the root of Major League Baseball's steroid scandal and determines that it's all about criminalizing black men.
• Thanks to everyone who came out to our Movable Hype show last night at Union Hall in celebration of our 5 year anniversary. And a special thanks to Craig Wedren for deejaying and Salt & Samovar, The Forms and Pattern is Movement for playing. You can watch a clip of The Forms performance here (courtesy of Sam Horine).

A Historic Collapse: The Mets held a seven-game lead with 17 to play and were caught looking ahead to the playoffs. What followed was among the worst collapses in history and one that revealed the weaknesses of the players, the manager and the general manager. Jose Reyes and his questionable -- and downright poor -- play summed up the the performance on the field. Manager Willie Randolph's mismanagement of the bullpen came to light more down the stretch. So did Omar Minaya's complete neglect of the roster's periphery. The Mets trotted out inexperienced and ineffective pitchers down the stretch, and the bullpen that Randolph had to deal with wasn't that good to begin with thanks to some questionable trades. What this means for the 2008 season remains to be seen, but it cost the Mets fans Lastings Milledge, another symbol of the collapse. He was dumped dealt to the Nationals for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider. more ›

The wedding date hasn’t been announced, but it seems like all the plans have been made. Alex Rodriguez is about to sign the richest contract in sports history- again. The framework of the deal is a 10 year/$275 million contract. In addition, A-Rod and the Yankees are working on a revenue sharing agreement if A-Rod breaks the home run record. One thing you won’t find in the contract is an opt-out clause, so this really... more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: an unstable building on 118th St. and 2nd Ave. in Manhattan, a person burned on 130th St. and Park Ave. in Manhattan, and a shooting on Lafayette Ave. in Brooklyn.
• Maybe it's because we're lifelong NYC baseball fans who think the Dodgers still belong in Brooklyn, but we think Joe Torre looks goofy wearing an LA jersey. Maybe he should lose the tie.
• Citigroup's Charles Prince is ousted or jumping ship, depending on how you want to paint it. The mega-bank expects to write down another $11 billion in assets related to sub-prime loans.
• A fugitive being filmed by a Swiss documentary film crew making a movie about his involvement in a drug smuggling ring was unaware that cops might want to arrest him for his crimes from 20 years ago. Surprise! They were and did.
• Policy makers may be emphasizing preventative care and shunting patients away from emergency medical care, but hospitals are putting their money where they see the future is, by expanding their ERs at a record pace.
• South Carolina cold cocks Stephen Colbert's Presidential aspirations and New York magazine makes light of the disruption of the democratic process.
• More than a dozen people were hospitalized after exposure to chemical fumes on Staten Island.
• Mayor Bloomberg has apologized to the family of James Zadroga for deriding their deceased son publicly.

Joe Girardi made his first appearance in Yankee pinstripes as the new manager today. He chose the number 27 for his jersey, referring to more World Series wins in the Yankees' - and his, he hopes - future as the Yankees have 26 World Series championships. The former Yankees catcher said, "The team's expectation is always going to be to win the World Series. It's not going to change." He also mentioned that he... more ›

Well, it didn't take long for Joe Torre to find a new job (not that it should have). He's trading The Bronx for Chavez Ravine and "fans" like Rudy Giuliani for Posh Spice. The Post is reporting that the former Yankees manager has agreed in principle to a three-year $14.5 million deal (hopefully there are no performance incentives) to be the next manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He would be replacing Grady Little, who... more ›

Stating that “this is about being a New York Yankee again today,” and proclaiming, “I expect to be in the Fall Classic next October,” Joe Girardi met the media as the next manager of the New York Yankees today. Girardi sought to differentiate himself from his predecessor saying, “I am going to be myself. There are expectations on me and my coaching staff, the same that were on Joe Torre when he came in... more ›

An ESPN report yesterday cited sources that say the Yankees are ready to offer Alex Rodriguez a record contract extension. The offer for the Yankees third baseman would be an extension in the range of five years and $30 million a year. Rodriguez is currently signed with the Yankees through the end of the 2010 season at $27 million a year, but can opt-out of his contract in the 10 days following the World Series,... more ›

Assuming MLB gives them permission, the Yankees will probably announce their next manager tomorrow. The team has conducted three interviews and according to Hank “Liitle Stein” Steinbrenner, that’s all they plan on doing. So, let’s take a look at the three candidates. First up there is the long shot, Tony Pena. Pena joined the Yankees two seasons ago as Joe Torre’s first base coach, but his biggest impact was on Jorge Posada. Under Pena’s tutelage,... more ›

Rudy Giuliani better check his sports allegiances. While campaigning in Boston, a reporter asked the former mayor which team he would be cheering for in the World Series - the Colorado Rockies or the Boston Red Sox. To our surprise (and Bostonist's), he went with the Red Sox, "I'm rooting for the Red Sox. I'm an American League fan, and I go with the American League team, maybe with the exception of the Mets. Maybe that would be the one time I wouldn't because I'm loyal to New York." Last time we checked, the Yankees and Red Sox were bitter rivals. We're betting that you won't catch a Mets fan rooting for the Braves or Phillies in the World Series or a Giants fan rooting for the Cowboys or Eagles. more ›

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a double shooting/possible homicide on Greene St. in Brooklyn, a shooting at Wyckoff Ave. and Starr St. in Brooklyn, and another shooting at East 51st St. and Church Ave. in Brooklyn. An appreciation of Jewish Delis in New York City. To avoid the widespread use of pesticides on its acres of grounds, real estate firm Tishman Speyer released 720,000 ladybugs around Stuy-Town and Peter Cooper Village. The ladybugs will... more ›

We admit that the departure of Yankees manager Joe Torre was a big story, but there was a bit of over kill with some of the coverage. On yesterday’s 5 p.m. newscast, WCBS devoted almost twenty minutes to the story. However, that seemed tame compared to WNYW following Torre from Westchester County Airport to his home with their helicopter. It seemed surreal and we felt as if we were watching some sort of Los Angeles style police chase, but without the pursuing patrol cars. The most restrained coverage came from WNBC, who devoted less not in the sports segment time to the story than anyone else. more ›