A Mickey Mouse interview with Torre
CNBC has sent out some transcripts of an interview Dodgers manager Joe Torre did with former Disney boss Michael Eisner, who apparently has a show on the network called "Conversations with Michael Eisner."
This one, airing Monday at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., is still very New York centric, because why would Eisner even know that Torre left to take the Dodgers' job?
We're just kind of stunned that the CNBC media relations people didn't clean up either Eisner or Torre's responses in this Q-and-A. As a result, we're not sure who has the bigger speech problems.
Try reading this and imaginging how it'll look on TV:
Torre, on leaving the Yankees:
"And -- and I -- you know, when I left the Yankees, it -- it- - it was strictly for that reason that I -- I-- I didn't think they necessarily, you know, wanted me back. And I knew, under the circumstances, that it's probably best that I move on. And -- and I really didn't know what I was gonna do. I sat with my representative, you know, we talked about broadcasting and, you know, making appearances and stuff. And then, the -- the Dodgers called."
Question from Eisner: "In your day, there were no enhancement drugs, there was none of that. But would have you been tempted if you're getting down to .247 batting average, and you used to bat at .350, saying, "Maybe I should try this?" Would that -- do you understand how the players today are so scared about losing their edge, that they may try these things?"
Torre: "I -- I don't think there's any question. I mean, I watched different players of my era, you know, being interviewed about stuff. And when you get in that competition, Michael, you -- you want an edge. You want to do what you can do. And -- and-- there's no question you would consider it, if you thought it would help your team win ball games."
Eisner: "Pretend that you're insecure. You -- and you -- and you -- and at 36, you could be unemployed, and you may not be a manager--"
Torre: "And you thought it would -- it would help your career extend, I think- - you know, you certainly would -- would think about it."
Eisner: "Do you think that if Barry Bonds -- that they prove, without a questionable doubt, Barry Bonds or somebody like that did do that, if they prove it, that that should disqualify them for whatever awards they may have gotten?"
Torre: "No, I -- I think, obviously, his numbers wouldn't be where they are now, but Barry Bonds -- had four MVP awards before anybody questioned what he was doing. nd I can tell you, as a manager who managed against Barry Bonds, as a skinny kid, he was scary. He was a good hitter. And -- and he -- he -- you just couldn't find a way to get him out regularly."
Eisner: "But, you know, when you have a kid, or you have a friend, or you're in an organization and somebody is acting peculiar, you're in denial that they may be doing something. So, I am totally understanding how the whole world would be in denial that this may have gone on. But when you see a player, whether it's Roger Clemens or somebody else, go from 180 to 240, your mind is, "Oh, they've just -- working out." Did you have no idea any of this was going on?"
Torre: "Unh-uh (a negative response). Well, first off, I respect guys' privacy. I never saw (COUGHING) a big change in weight mass on -- on guys who were on my team. I did not see that, OK?"
Eisner: "Even though George Mitchell's report says -- and he was in New York, that 20 of your players and -- no, ten of your players, but 20 if you can include retirees, and every other team, as well, somehow were involved in this. You--"
Torre: "Well, the names were mentioned. It doesn't mean anything other than names were mentioned. And-- And the fact that the two -- the -- the two people they -- they interviewed to get all this information are both based in New York. So, you -- you -- you gonna obviously have people that are gonna have to come through New York. And a lot of the players -- I managed the Yankees for 12 years.
"We've had players for a year, less than a year, and all those players, you know, would come through your team. And-- you know, you-- I can honestly say, I didn't see anything suspicious. That's all I can tell you. And again, I don't go look for it. When I was managing a different club, in a different time-- I did notice guys' behavior a little bit differently, but that was related to drugs.
"But-- with the steroids, or the-- you know, what's going on, first off, I-- I don't think, you know, this is the right thing to do. Because it literally makes you stronger. Now, it-- that's not a level playing field, okay? It's like somebody being allowed to use aluminum bat, another guy's using wood bats. It's not the fair-- not the fair game you should play. But I-- as I say, I don't go around investigating. And I didn't see any evidence of-- of people, all of the sudden their ability doing this. And-- and-- we didn't have that in our club."
Add that to Eisner's resume tape so when the guest host spot on "Ellen" is free, he'll be considered.
And where does Torre find time to manage the team between doing interviews and going to speech class?
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