Elsa / Getty Images

The Yankees are making a mistake by keeping Joe Torre as manager, MSNBC.com contributor Michael Ventre writes.

A-Rod isn’t the only problem. As the Tigers proved, it’s good to have pitching that isn’t overpriced and underachieving. Construction of the staff is the bailiwick of general manager Brian Cashman. But whatever Piniella is saddled with, it’s a sure bet he’ll bring his prickly personality to the mound when he visits a struggling hurler. He once famously wrestled with Rob Dibble in the Cincinnati clubhouse. He won’t be afraid to plant a burr in Randy Johnson’s behind. And if Carl Pavano shows up with injuries sustained in another car accident that he fails to inform the club about, he’ll discover that a collision with Piniella will cause even more bodily harm.

The main problem with the Yankees is a lack of cohesion. Chemistry is often a misunderstood term. It’s not about liking each other. It’s about pulling together for a common cause.

It’s hard to achieve camaraderie when you and your teammates are taking separate limos to the ballpark. The primary focus of these Yankees is for each individual to justify his salary and his place in the lineup, not for all of them to put aside personal interests for the good of the whole. When you have A-Rod, Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu, Gary Sheffield, Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, Mike Mussina and The Big Unit in the same clubhouse, it’s more like executives meeting over a proposed corporate merger than it is a group of guys playing ball.

Torre has done his best, but the nature of the New York Yankees eventually has rendered him ineffective. Steinbrenner is mostly at fault for ordering a cobbling together of rich prima donnas for marquee value instead of assembling a collection of stars mixed with scrappers, role players and competitors. These Yankees are in their present form because of their ability to attract a wide cable television audience, not because they’re an ideal blend.

Piniella would have little to do with rewriting the recipe. But he could at least make it more palatable. He would have brought energy and passion to a team that has only read about such qualities in books, or has witnessed them from the opposing dugout.

Steinbrenner’s axe may be rusty, but it still needs to fall.

More news

Tom Szczerbowski / Getty Images

Who deserves some early awards?

DeMarco: David Wright's hot bat — he's hitting .405 — makes him the pick for NL MVP thus far. But that's just for starters in our feature.

Padres' offense busts out in win vs. Mets

NEW YORK (AP) - Will Venable hit a pair of RBI doubles and Cameron Maybin had two run-scoring singles as the San Diego Padres broke out the offense after a long rain delay and beat the New York Mets 11-5 Thursday night.

Headlines

• Label

Pujols hits 450th HR, Haren blanks M's

Reds ride grand slam past Braves

Indians top Verlander, sweep Tigers

Mailbag: Harper, Trout have superstar potential

HBT: Now MLB debunking Yankee sale rumors

SportsTalk: Playoff bound? Maybe not

Does winning a postseason award matter?

Schilling's video-game firm lays off entire staff