Afternoon blogging...

How's everyone going?!? I'm sure that you've heard the reports of Joe Torre getting fired and his eventual replacement is likely going to be Lou Piniella.

The New York Daily News reported Sunday that Yankees manager Joe Torre likely will be fired and replaced by Lou Piniella following New York's 3-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers in an American League Division Series matchup.

According to the report, Torre is expected to be fired unless he resigns first or team officials can talk owner George Steinbrenner out of making the move[...]

The Yankees have never missed the playoffs in Torre's 11 years at the helm and they have won nine straight AL East titles. The 66-year-old Torre has one year and $7 million left on his contract.

A former Yankee player, Piniella managed the team in 1986-87 and for most of 1988. He led the Cincinnati Reds to the 1990 World Series title and also has managed in Seattle and Tampa Bay.

I have to admit that I don't quite understand this move. Joe Torre is a great manager who will likely be inducted into the Hall of Fame despite his managing of the Yankees. The fact is, he shouldn't get the blame for the horrible playing of the Yankees in the postseason. If the blame goes to anyone, it's Alex Rodriguez. Last year, he went 2-15 (.133) in the 2006 ALDS against the Los Angeles Angels. This year, he was 1-14 (.071). So don't go blaming Torre, blame George Steinbrenner for wanting to overpay his players.

This article is an interesting one.

Liberals painted a target on Lieberman's back earlier this year and coalesced behind Lamont. They thought they had Lieberman on the run when Lamont won the primary, but they made a mistake. While Connecticut is among the most liberal states in the country, the left didn't count on Lieberman's popularity among centrist Democrats and undeclared voters.

It's not easy for someone as independent and principled as Lieberman to win three consecutive terms to the U.S. Senate, but he did. It was Lieberman's moral dedication to principle that led us to endorse his candidacy for president in the 2004 New Hampshire Democratic primary.[...]

The Times reported former U.S. Rep. Norman D'amours as saying last week, "There are people who are not supporting Joe, for the time being ... who, on a secret ballot would probably vote for Joe."

D'amours is one of several former members of Congress and Clinton administration officials — "Dems for Joe" — who are backing Lieberman. The group also includes former Sens. Dennis DeConcini of Arizona, Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, John Breaux of Louisiana and former head of the CIA James Woolsey — like Lieberman, men of principle.

When it's over, Joe Lieberman will still be a Democrat. If he's re-elected he will vote with Democrats and he expects to retain the seniority he has attained and the role he has consistently played as a member of important Senate committees. He will continue to vote on important social issues and they are likely be votes with which we strongly disagree. But while we might disagree with Lieberman on some issues, it will be with certainty he stands on the firm foundation of moral dedication to the people he serves, whether they vote for him or not.[...]

It is not a time for voters to reject people like Joe Lieberman. It is a time to embrace them.

I will say this in closing: I emailed Lamont's campaign this past summer shortly after the election and have yet to recieve a reply to my question.