Yankees fans should take it easy on Torre

New York Yankees fans could stand for a change of attitude.

That their compass of blame… New York Yankees fans could stand for a change of attitude.

That their compass of blame has suddenly swung to Joe Torre like a divining rod toward water is reason enough as to why.

Joe Torre is the best thing to happen to Yankees baseball since Reggie Jackson, leading the Bronx Bombers to the playoffs in each of his 11 seasons since taking over for Buck Showalter in late 1995. He’s also posted a .604 winning percentage in that span, including the current 20-23 record owned by the Yankees before last night’s matchup with the Red Sox.

Yet the Yankees’ current deficit in the American League East Division to the Sox, which was at 9.5 games after Monday’s win, is apparently enough to put Torre under the dunce cap.

That, simply, is not fair.

Take, for example, the Yankees’ current pitching crisis. They’ve gone through enough starters in one quarter of a season than most teams do in years, forcing Torre to drain every watt of power from his bullpen.

The result? A 4.52 team earned run average that ranks 11th out of 14 in the American League, well above both the AL and major-league averages because of the cast of minor-league arms with which they’ve had to patch their rotation.

Of the injured so far: (Inhale) Chien-Ming Wang, who was scheduled to be the Yankees’ opening day starter, was put on the disabled list before the season began because of a hamstring injury; Carl Pavano, who hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since 2005; Jeff Karstens, on the DL with a fractured fibula; Mike Mussina, who spent the latter half of April on the DL and has since struggled after returning; Phil Hughes, a rookie called up to fill in the rotation who pulled his hamstring after a good second outing.

Exhale. That’s not even mentioning the healthy failures, including Kei Igawa, who gave up 27 runs in 30 2/3 innings pitched – enough cause for his demotion to Class-A Tampa (yes, A as in the lowest classification of minor league baseball).

Throw in Chase Wright, a rookie replacement who gave up back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs against the Red Sox, and Colter Bean, a replacement whose ERA points can be ordered by the dozen. Needless to say, it’s been a frustrating first two months for the New York Yankees’ starting pitchers.

And that’s put pressure on the Yankees’ bullpen. So much so that Torre has had to bump his only reliable starter, Andy Pettitte, to do momentary relief work. Scott Proctor has had to pitch nearly every other day and Mariano Rivera, the club’s game-over closer, has seemingly lost his touch, as some have speculated that Rivera’s infamously un-hittable cut-fastball has suddenly pulled a Dick Cheney and doesn’t move.

Which all comes at a bad time for the Yankees. While the 26-time World Champion ball club struggles in the Bronx, their cousins in Queens, the Mets, are atop the National League East and playing some of the best baseball in the major leagues. Never mind that the Red Sox lead the Yankees by as much as they do.

And that’s why New York Yankees fans are frustrated, because the Mets, who the Yankees have treated like an inferior little brother over the years, now appear to be better. Because the Red Sox, hated by New York with a passion that is inexplicable through this column, have a pitching staff that’s considered by many to be the best in the major leagues, or at least with the third-best ERA in the American League. In comparison to their nearest rivals, the Yankees look dull. That the Mets just beat them two out of three tries at Shea Stadium in inter-league play doesn’t help.

So New York needs someone to blame. They blamed Alex Rodriguez during his so-called slump last season, and they’re blaming Torre now. Some are claiming that this Yankees team lacks passion and that Torre is the epicenter of the wave of ambivalence.

If they’d look more closely, they’d find that Torre isn’t a problem at all, which is why both Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and general manager Brian Cashman have supported him. Fact is, he can do nothing about injuries, which are what have plagued the Yankees on the mound thus far.

If they really took the time to get inside their Yankees’ struggles, they might find that it’s simply a product of bad luck. While the injuries are obvious, another nugget of information provided by ESPN.com’s Jonah Keri revealed that the Yankees aren’t in as bad a rut as many think they are.

Keri discovered that the Yankees have posted a plus-27 margin in runs scored over runs allowed – a stat that has correlated strongly to wins against losses. If they maintain their current run-differential level, the Yankees should improve upon their current win percentage.

The Yankees are also a pitiful 2-8 in one-run games – signature of a struggling bullpen.

Hmm