Blameshifter and Renowned Liar Joe Torre finally explains why he bat ARod eighth in a playoff game.
It was really a high compliment for his best player:
"Matt Kemp is batting fifth today, but here's a bit from Vincent Bonsignore of the Daily News on Joe Torre's rationale for often batting him eighth:
'I put him eighth because I thought I'd seen enough to know that he could handle it,' Torre said. 'Certainly it's not any kind of lack of confidence in his ability. It's just the opposite, actually. You have to feel comfortable about someone hitting eighth.'
'When I saw Matt with the quality of his at-bats, I didn't hesitate to hit him eighth because it just looked like he had a better feel than I felt he would have had earlier in the season,' Torre said. 'That was my biggest concern, because I didn't want him hitting eighth earlier in the season because I just wasn't sure he could handle it.' "
Stunning on many levels.
Aside from the typical logical merry-go-round to nowhere, Torre is saying that he batted Kemp eighth because he knew Kemp could handle it.
Which brings me instantly the the 2006 playoffs.
Did Torre really think ARod could psychologically handle batting eighth?
I mean, look: I'm the biggest ARod fan in the world, but the guy's brain is made of oatmeal.
Torre knew it was an embarrassment to ARod and also knew it was an easy way to sabotage ARod's performance.
So why do it?
Well, let me explain.
Torre thought he was going to be fired. Torre knew his team was mailing it in. The Yankees didn't even get a baserunner until the top of the sixth. I think Bonderman got the first fifteen outs on fifteen pitches.
So why purposely toy with the psyche of your all-star third baseman?
Torre was just hoping to ... what's the word I'm looking for here? ... blameshift!
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