At about 4:15 (et) Thursday, you were probably unnerved by a rather large noise. Relax... It was just the nation?s top baseball writers ignoring the basic tenants of journalism to collectively jump on their swords. All in an effort to save good guy Joe Torre. The thought process was almost universal. Torre, the same man who has been on the losing end of 13 of his past 17 postseason games, was slapped in the face and forced to quit by the evil New York Yankees. After reportedly earning over $7 million for his latest failure, the Yankees offered the veteran mentor a one-year deal for $5 million with the option of earning an additional $1 million for each playoff series he appeared in. "He turned it down. We respect his decision," team President Randy Levine said. "We appreciate everything he's done. It's now time for the New York Yankees to move forward. We will be doing that very, very quickly." If Torre and the Yankees reached the World Series in 2008, Torre would have gotten a raise next season and no matter what the manger made in 2008, one thing was certain -- he would have been the game?s highest paid manager. "Under this offer, he would continue to be the highest-paid manager in Major League Baseball," Levine said. "We thought that we needed to go to a performance-based model, having nothing to do with Joe Torre's character, integrity or ability. We just think it's important to motivate people." Why can?t people slap me in the face like that? Fail miserably over the last four seasons and have the opportunity to get a raise? Makes perfect sense to me. Of course, Torre?s bobos saw it a different way. Since it?s a foregone conclusion the manager wasn?t going to earn the $8 mil with his patent-pending, sit on your hands managerial style, his acolytes actually had the nerve to cite the most vilified person in sports -- super agent Scott Boras. ?It is difficult, near impossible, to accept a salary cut,? the world?s best capitalist told the Associated Press when asked about Torre?s situation. ?Successful people can afford their principles. They understand if they accept the position, there is a great risk the message to all under him is dissatisfaction.? Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated even had the audacity to compare Torre?s plight with Charlie Manuel, Joe Maddon and Ozzie Guillen, so-called ?lesser? mangers who were all given multi-year contract extensions. ?One year? Goodness, Charlie Manuel, Joe Maddon and Ozzie Guillen were given multiyear contract extensions,? Verducci wrote. ?No manager of Torre's resume or dignity would have accepted those conditions and Levine, who wanted Torre out for years, knew it. It was not the money; Torre doesn't need it. It was knowing that your employers don't want you, knowing that if another season began 21-29, as this season did, the snipers and leakers would be firing away with impunity. How could he ask respect from his players when his bosses did not respect him?? Yeah, let?s all pretend the playing field is even like Verducci. Stick our heads in the sand and feign guys like Manuel, Maddon and Guillen were given a payroll that topped $1 billion dollars over the past four seasons. Ludicrous. Torre was called on the carpet for his failures and given the opportunity to correct them. He would have gotten a bump in salary only if he deserved it. What a novel concept in sports. ?There can be no honeymoon for the next manager based on the comments of Randy Levine,? Westchester Journal News Yankees' writer and Torre apologist Peter Abraham wrote. ?If 94 wins and a playoff berth aren?t good enough, the next guy better win 95 games and get in the ALCS.? Amen and that?s the point. Failure isn?t the aim in the Bronx. "The point is the objective of the Yankees since the '20s has been to win the championship every year," Hank Steinbrenner said. "For us, that's what it is. None of us think we can win the championship every year, but that's the goal, period." -John McMullen is the irreverent co-host of the highly rated 'Johns on Sports' radio show on WTBQ in New York. Every Saturday from 7-9 p.m. (et) you can hear John along with his co-host, John Gottlieb, talk to the movers and shakers in the sports world. Recent guests have included Darelle Revis of the New York Jets, ESPN's Buster Olney and ComcastSportsnet's Ron Burke. You can listen on the internet at wtbq.com or call 845-651-1110 to be part of the program.