Very soon:
BALTIMORE (AP) -- George Steinbrenner isn't paying $200 million in player salaries to watch his New York Yankees sputter along in last place.
The outspoken owner waited all of two weeks before demanding that his team start winning -- or else.
"Enough is enough. I am bitterly disappointed as I'm sure all Yankee fans are by the lack of performance by our team,'' Steinbrenner said in a statement issued immediately after the game.
"It is unbelievable to me that the highest-paid team in baseball would start the season in such a deep funk. They are not playing like true Yankees. They have the talent to win and they are not winning. I expect Joe Torre, his complete coaching staff and the team to turn this around.''
Torre, who held a brief team meeting after the game, did not take Steinbrenner's comments lightly.
"He's right. What are you going to say? I'm not going to dispute that,'' the manager said. ``If I try to defend what we've been doing, you'd have to check my sanity. This stuff out here is not pretty. We have to make it better. No question.''
"What did you expect him to say, we're playing great? Keep up the good work?'' Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. ``We haven't been playing well. It's easy to see. We just have to turn it around. That's basically it.''
"Mount Steinbrenner rarely erupts this early in the year, but I suspect it'll happen soon."
Me yesterday:
" The Boss might explode with one more loss tomorrow on national TV."
Steinbrenner today:
"Enough is enough. I am bitterly disappointed as I'm sure all Yankee fans are by the lack of performance by our team....
"It is unbelievable to me that the highest-paid team in baseball would start the season in such a deep funk. They are not playing like true Yankees. They have the talent to win and they are not winning. I expect Joe Torre, his complete coaching staff and the team to turn this around."
Lol, do we know our Steinbrenner??
And I wonder what the vibe in the clubhouse is? This is why they shouldn't have unloaded Cairo and Lieber -- two real positive forces in the clubhouse as opposed to A-Rod and Brown's poison.
Do you think Torre will survive if the Yanks fall 10 games off the pace?
This pitching staff can't keep on giving up 7-8 runs a game. Mussina actually should have 2 wins that the pen blew for him.