Joe Torre's new baseball job is called Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. Well, what exactly is that? Seems like the answer is, darned if Torre knows for sure.
Well right now, we’re organizing it. You hit it, I have the title of, Executive Vice President. I have never had anything like that before but I am basically in charge of the minor leagues, so all trades and transactions, discipline, Latin America, really a liaison with the commissioner and the managers, the general managers.
Torre, former New York Yankees manager, recently discussed his new role in baseball on the Dan Patrick Show. Sports Radio Interviews has the full transcript.
Patrick asked Torre what he would change about baseball. Here is part of Torre's answer:
I think there is certainly a feel that something could be better. Not that you have the answer at hand but you certainly want to try and see if the game will be better for everybody, obviously including the fans," Torre said. "I think one of my goals is the umpires. It looks like we have exiled the umpires here as far as giving them so much dirty work to do, hurry the game up, this, that and the other thing, I think that it’s important for them to know they are as much a part of the game as the players and the managers are."
Torre had an interesting answer when asked for his position on the expansion of instant replay:
"It is an imperfect game," Torre said. "I can see maybe the replays being expanded somewhat but I don’t think to the point of making sure that everything is perfect because I don’t think any of us want that."
Good luck to Torre in his role. Whatever it really turns out to be.