I'm at a loss to understand how anyone could treat a manager the way George Steinbrenner treated Joe Torre.

Didn't Torre get the Yankees to the playoffs 12 straight years? Didn't he win four World Series championships, including three in a row?

If the Yankees didn't want Torre back, they should have just said so—instead of pulling a PR stunt that's only going to backfire down the road.

As much as I hate the Yankees, I've always respected Joe Torre. How many managers can say they won a championship in their first year on the job?

Steve Phillips of ESPN reported that the Yankees had hoped Torre would turn down their one-year, $5 million offer—so at least they could say they tried.

The Yankees got what they wanted—Torre is gone.

And now come the million-dollar questions:

Who will replace Torre? Will A-Rod opt out of his contract? Will Mariano Rivera come back to the Yankees?

And, most importantly, how will free agents feel knowing that Torre will no longer be in the Bronx?

I for one hope Torre gets another job in the AL East—so he can come back, beat the Yankees, and show them just how big a mistake they made.