LaRussa is a grossly overrated manager. The guy the Giants should hire (and should've hired last year instead of Bochy) was Joe Girardi. My money is behind Girardi getting the Yankees job.

If Torre leaves, either Girardi or Mattingly will take over. They're True Yankees (TM).

Why do you think LaRussa is overrated?

Torre is a classy guy but I think overrated as a manager. I really don't like the way he manages his bullpen - picking three guys and using the hell out of them - and I wouldn't be surprised if he took some time off.

Managing 12 years in New York has got to wear down even the toughest of people.

Nah, not worth it. Spend the $$$ on position players who can hit the ball. I think that's where our current priorities lie.

Besides, Dave Duncan? What's Rags Righetti? Chopped liver?

You say that as if chopped liver were something bad. I love chopped liver.

For what it's worth, everything I've read on Dave Duncan makes him sound worlds better than Rags. Besides, the salary of a manager (and his coaching staff) is minuscule in relation to the remaining payroll of the team. That money really shouldn't be factored into the $$$ spent on players.

In other words, if it comes down to eating two to five million of an old contract and taking on a new contract to bring in a better coach/manager (and staff), I'd do it in a heartbeat. The debate remains, though, whether or not Torre (or LaRussa) would do a better job than Bochy with this team.

I'm still waiting to hear why LaRussa is overrated.

Torre is a bad idea - he was on baseball's scrap heap when George hired him. He's always had a veteran team and George's millions to boost him. Tony LaRussa is very interesting, tho. He's won everywhere he's gone - and I like the idea of a strong manager type ... someone who is not subservient to Larry Baer, Sabean, etc. He's a Bay Area guy.

What's Rags Righetti? Armando Benitez in a bikini?

Torre's contract is something just under $7mil a year. I don't know what LaRussa's making, but as another A-level manager I'd have to think it's comparable. That's enough of an amount to consider its impact on the overall payroll. And is a manager really worth that much, anyway? Nate Silver had a good post about this yesterday in BP's Unfiltered blog. Here's the link.

Here's another thought, looking at that article again: forget Torre...how about Magowan booting Sabean for Walt Jocketty?

>Torre's contract is something just under $7mil a year. I don't know what LaRussa's making, but as another A-level manager I'd have to think it's comparable.

According to Cot's, LaRussa was paid $2.8M this year.

Torre couldn't manage his way out of a paper bag when he was in the N.L. (1 division winner in '82). No orange and black dollars down that hole please.

Well Torre won big the last time he took over a team largely developed by Brian Sabean (NYY), so maybe he can do it again. :^)

I don't see Torre coming here, to rebuild the team, though. I can see him easily going to St. Louis, where he was a great player and I would assume, beloved, to take over a team one year removed from winning the World Series, with usually winning teams and great fans. Depends on the GM though, I would assume.

I can see LaRussa wanting to take over the Giants though, with Duncan. They are all about pitching, and the Giants are all about pitching, and LaRussa still lives in the Bay Area. However, he left the A's because he didn't want to rebuild, so if he came here, he has to think he can win quickly with us. Whether he stands with Allfrank and think that a few changes and the Giants will be golden, or with Boof and think the Giants are screwed, would be interesting.

I have to think he'd be interested in taking over the Giants just because of home. Perhaps he takes a year off to rest and rejuvenate, to see how the Giants look a year from now when Bochy's contract ends, and maybe lobby to take over if things look good, or go elsewhere to a better situation if not.