Yanks' captain, manager deny tension with A-Rod
By TIMES WIRES
Published October 26, 2006
Derek Jeter expects Alex Rodriguez to remain with the Yankees next season, saying there was no need to discuss the third baseman's poor performance during New York's division series loss to the Tigers.
And halfway across the country, manager Joe Torre said he had no plans to meet with Rodriguez, either.
Back from his first European vacation, the Yankees' captain wouldn't say whether he lobbied for owner George Steinbrenner to bring Torre back for a 12th season.
Torre dropped Rodriguez, coming off a September in which he batted .358 with a .691 slugging percentage, to sixth in the order in the postseason opener and eighth in the fourth and final game against Detroit, the lowest he has hit in 10 years.
"I don't have anything to do with that. So I don't see why I would have to meet with him," Jeter said Wednesday from the World Series in St. Louis. "From what I understand, I haven't heard that there's any air that needs to be cleared between them. I'm not speaking on his behalf or Mr. T's behalf, but it's not anything that I've heard."
Torre, during a luncheon in New York to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his brother Frank's successful heart transplant surgery, said he had no plans to clear the air with the 2005 AL MVP.
"I didn't think there was anything wrong with the air," Torre told the Record.
Rodriguez hit .071 (1-for-14) against Detroit and is 4-for-41 (.098) without an RBI in his past 12 postseason games dating to 2004.
He still has a .280 career average and a .485 slugging percentage in 35 career postseason games despite the recent slump.
Meanwhile, the Yankees' YES network confirmed it is in talks to bring fired Marlins manager Joe Girardi back as a broadcaster. Girardi worked for the network in 2004 before becoming Torre's bench coach in 2005.
A'S, HERSHISER TO TALK: The Athletics will interview former pitcher Orel Hershiser for their managerial opening.
General manager Billy Beane will schedule a meeting with Hershiser, currently an ESPN baseball analyst, in Phoenix for the week of Nov. 6.
Beane fired fourth-year manager Ken Macha on Oct. 16, two days after Oakland's season ended in a sweep by the wild-card Tigers in the ALCS. The A's won a playoff series for the first time since 1990.
HOWARD, JETER HONORED: Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard and Jeter have won the Hank Aaron Award, presented annually to the top offensive performer in each league.
Howard, who received 33 percent (25,349) of NL votes, led the majors with 58 homers, 149 RBIs and 383 total bases.
Jeter, who accumulated 37 percent (29,275) of the AL votes, finished second in the league with a .343 average. He was second with 118 runs and fourth with a .417 on-base percentage.
TV FOR GIRARDI: Fired Marlins manager Joe Girardi has decided to stay off the field for a year and spend next season as a broadcaster, Newsday reported. The YES Network, which does Yankees games, is one of his options, the paper reported.
RED SOX: Reliever Mike Timlin agreed to a $2.8-million, one-year contract to play his fifth season with Boston. The right-hander, 40, had a 4.36 ERA and nine saves in 68 games this season. He had eight blown saves.
TWINS: Left-hander Francisco Liriano, still feeling pain in his elbow, has stopped his rehabilitation and may consider surgery. Liriano left the team's facility in Fort Myers and was to consult with doctors. Liriano, who turns 23 Thursday, was 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA in his rookie season before a mild strain of the ulnar collateral ligament ended his season in mid September.