Torre Quits

He was offered 5 million for the season, another 1 million for the 1st round, 1 million for the Championship and 1 million for the World Series.
Do the job and you got a million raise.
With all the contracts the Yankees need to fill, he could have dealt with that contract, and they gave him a 2009 option to boot.
Greed knows all, I guess, or was it that someone had said?
If I remember right, when he came here in 1996, he knew where he was going.
This is the New York Yankees. Win or goodbye. He gave us a great run no doubt, but to turn down 5 million, to leave the team now with all the changes due, well that is crap.
If the Boss fires him, that's one thing, it is the bosses team and not Torre's, as much as he'd like to think it is.
As I had mentioned in a prior post, losing in 2001 was the worst thing he could do.
This ranks a close second.

Movie Review # 1

I'm gonna start reviewing movies that I have seen or will see. I always enjoy a good flick. My taste ranges from a good old comedy to cold blooded thrillers and whatever falls in between.
My first review is on a little know movie that was released in 1990 and till day still holds it emotional value.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Loosely based on real life events of Henry Lee Lucas, a serial killer that was out on the loose with anywhere between 1 and 360 kills under his belt. The numbers are in question, but their are deaths non the less.
As a little side note:

Lucas' sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1998 by then-Governor George W. Bush. His was the only death penalty case among the 153 that came across Bush's desk in his tenure as Texas Governor in which he intervened and commuted the death sentence. Lucas died in prison of natural causes. Though Lucas' death seemed to have removed the possibility of resolution in many instances, there are still a number of unresolved or open questions. Some authorities — while admitting that Lucas tended to exaggerate his accounts and told some outright lies, and also recognizing that the Lucas Task Force engaged in some very questionable tactics — insist that Lucas was a viable suspect in a number of unsolved murders.
I guess birds of a feather...

The director John McNaughton, was at the time (1986) a young music video, that a Chicago based film producer invested in him to create a "B" level horror film.
McNaughton gave him Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.
Portraying Henry was a young Micheal Rooker, till this day, I have to wonder were are his awards.
The film is like a tutorial on how to go about murder everyday in every way. Little tidbits like "kill a different way, and there is no signature left behind" With no motive and no signature, you'd have to be an idiot to get caught. It is a cold and a nerve racking experience, to see through the eyes of a killer, to feel his emotion and to feel his lack of. Rooker, was casted perfectly for this part, and brings to the table a truth about a character you rarely see on screen.
Yet, you do not get a slasher movie here, nope you get a semi documentary, about the rules of the kill and the twisted mind of a killer.
See The Movie Trailer Here
Get The DVD Here
may ratings on this film out of 5 Fav's is

New Toy Recall

I remember when we were kids, we have dirt ball fights, or play throw your buddy down the steps. Then as we got older, it was games like stoop ball, or fox and hounds, and then it was sports.
We used to go to the parks for the swings and the slides but in this day and age things seem to get out of hand with over seas companies building toys for the kids.
This one I rate an Ouch!

Rudy, Rudy, Rudy

I am still confused about what Rudy Giuliani did on September 11th.
Check Out Rudy Watcher

The families of the firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11 deserve answers to these questions. The Real Rudy.com calls on a full, public investigation to uncover the facts behind the Giuliani administration's failure to equip the New York Fire Department with radios that could have saved the lives of first responders on 9/11.
Sign the Petition

Mercenary at Work

Six-Figure Bonuses Retain US Commandos

People are surprised? They are their to protect the interest of the big business investments, while the kids in the military protect them for nickels and dimes. And then get treated like crap if and when they come with limbs missing.

WASHINGTON (AP)
- The Pentagon has paid more than $100 million in bonuses to veteran Green Berets and Navy SEALs, reversing the flow of top commandos to the corporate world where security companies such as Blackwater USA are offering big salaries.

The retention effort, started nearly three years ago and overseen by U.S. Special Operations Command in Tampa, Fla., has helped preserve a small but elite group of enlisted troops with vast experience fighting the unconventional wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Defense Department statistics.

Overall, more than 1,200 of the military most specialized personnel near or already eligible for retirement have opted for payments of up to $150,000 in return for staying in uniform several more years.
The numbers gathered by The Associated Press and other Pentagon research indicate there has not been an extended exodus of commandos to private security companies and other businesses that value their talents.

``Back in 2005, we saw quite a few exits,'' said Rear Adm. Michael LeFever, director of the Navy's military personnel plans and policy division. ``What we're seeing lately is just the opposite. We've become very aggressive.''

Defense Secretary Robert Gates remains so concerned over the lure of high salaries in the private sector that he has directed Pentagon lawyers to explore putting no-compete clauses into contracts with security companies that would limit their recruiting abilities.
Read More Here
also get a better idea what a mercenary is

NY Yankees

Enough time has passed since my 2007 disappointment from a team that I have been following since the early 1960's.
Too many things went wrong with this team, ever since the 8th inning of game 7 of the 2001 World Series.

The most important series New York ever needed to win, after all the dynamic comebacks at the stadium, and a bad loss in day 6, we needed to have that team come back to New York with the title. But, it was not to be. With most of his pitchers at his disposal, Torre elected to pitch Mario for 2, when he should have used everyone else to get those 3 outs in the 8th. With Mario in for just the 9th, he could have pumped, instead of paced himself. What would of happened? Who knows, but it was truly the way to go.

It's now another empty fall, a team with so much talent, and they are sitting around wondering about their jobs. Some changes have to made, some issues resolved and some winning to be done.

The A-Rod factor - First let me say, I love A-Rod. What I don't like is his cat and mouse game with his option this year. You want to be remembered as a Yankee, then this should have been settled and not an issue now. He wants to lock into the big bucks, fine, but that should have been worked out and this time of the year we would be more focused on Jorge, Mario, pitching and youth.

Let him go, Sign Tory Hunter, work out a package for Santana, (Rasner, Karstens and DeSalvo as an example ) sign them both for 5 years. Move Melky over to right, do not pick up Abreu's option and leave Damon in left. Outfield, done. With Matsui and Duncan as DH and outfield back ups.

Giambi, why he was ever brought her in favor of Tino, I'll never know, but since he has been here we have not had a team, of teammates. Trade to Toronto for Glaus and eat some of Giambi's contract. Use Phillips and Mientkiewicz at first. Infield done.

Rotation of Santana, Pettitte, Hughs, Wang and Kennedy should do very well.

Resign Mario, Jorge and Molina.

Leave Joba in pen to develop with Veras, Ohlendorf, Mussina and Farnsworth.

On the bench
Betemit and Sardinha
11 Pitchers and 14 everyday players that will fill out the 25 man roster.
If we go with 12 pitchers, then bring in Igawa.

We got younger, stronger and more exciting so we can close down the doors at the stadium at the end of 2008 and open up the doors to the new stadium in 2009.

As far as Torre goes, either with him or without, I am more concerned about what is put on the field.

NY Yankees