Joe Torre came as close as anyone could to handling his 12 seasons as Yankee manager on his terms. At least publicly, he kept the meddlesome owner out of day-to-day on-the-field decisions.
 That was one reason why he was successful. The Yankees' offer to keep Torre but at a lower salary would have undercut his authority. By turning it down, Torre made the best decision for not only himself but for the club as well.
 Anytime the ultimate boss doesn't have faith in an experienced decision-maker, it's time for the underling to move on. The boss has a right to more involvement with someone who is learning the job. But the meddling ought to be about teaching, not making the decisions for the manager. After all, in business or sports aren't you paying a manager to manage?
 There's nothing wrong with Steinbrenner or his sons holding Torre or any manager to high standards -- even  higher standards than the rest of the industry. But whoever holds the job must be allowed to do the job.
 Given Steinbrenner's history, I believe Don Mattingly would be a poor choice. He doesn't have the experience to give him credibility with the boss. I think Joe Girardi would be a better choice. But his history of standing up to an owner might make him unattractive to the Boss.