Torre’s fate still in limbo…Still no decision on Joe Torre.

If the picture, rightfully, of Joe Torre is serenity in the dugout, his brother, Frank Torres, has come to be known as the guy without an editing valve, the guy who doesn't play poker with his thoughts and emotions. Frank has always told you what he thinks without artifice and with plenty of fire, especially when it came in praising or protecting Joe.
And while he certainly lauded and defended his brother, Frank was as restrained as Frank Torre could possibly be. Which is to say that try as he might there were still moments when he let a reporter know that he can't believe the Yankees have gone into Four Corners in making a decision on Joe.
“His record speaks for itself," Frank Torre said. “This whole scenario is almost comical, but what are you going to do. They own the club, they have the privilege to do whatever they want."
What Frank Torre wants is a new contract for his brother befitting a manager who has brought winning and dignity to the Yankees. Frank also kept returning to the notion that his brother “deserves respect" and needs that respect to return. Frank would not define exactly what that meant, but just as The Post reported last week, you sense money might be the key for both sides.
Torre has long been the majors' highest-paid manager and over time that came to annoy Steinbrenner. He did not like that Torre pushed for the big dough during championship times and grew to like it even less when the championships stopped. Now with his sons, Hank and Hal, making most decisions, the organization has a slightly more frugal tinge.
Meetings broke up yesterday in Tampa with the Yankees announcing no determination on Torre had been made. But certainly it did not go unnoticed that Clint Hurdle just managed Colorado into the World Series on an $800,000 contract. The organizational leadership is certainly questioning if someone else - likely Don Mattingly or Joe Girardi - could do as good a job or better than Torre at significantly fewer dollars.
This might become a situation of follow the money. If the Yanks offer a significant paycut could they be forcing Torre to turn them down? Or could they get creative, offer Torre still the highest managerial base, say $4 million, and give him bonuses that would soar to $7 million-plus if the Yanks won a World Series?
Frank Torre, however, used Hurdle to make another point, that the Rockies were patient through a lot of losing before this year “now Colorado is playing like hell and he is considered a smart guy." His brother, Frank, argued, has had no down years. He is 12-for-12 making the playoffs, and that is why, Frank concedes, Joe “was very upset" when Steinbrenner was quoted during the playoffs as saying Joe would almost certainly lose his job if the Yanks lost in the first round, as they ultimately did.
Still, Joe has navigated the Yankee politics for a dozen years and wants to stay the Yankee manager, which is why Frank holds his tongue, holds his full thoughts.
“One of his dreams is to finish his career managing the Yankees," Frank said. “Unfortunately, just being a good manager is not enough any more. Now you have to wait around and see what decisions other people make."