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Friday, November 2nd 2007, 4:00 AM
Why was Michael Kay treading lightly on Alex Rodriguez and jolly-stomping Joe Torre? That is the question a caller to Kay's ESPN-1050 Tuesday soiree asked.
The inquiry agitated Mr. Kay.
"There are things about Joe Torre, if I wanted to come out and say, would show how cold and calculated he really is," Kay fumed. "... Joe Torre is for Joe Torre. ... The graveyard of Yankees coaches is loaded with bones of coaches Joe Torre did nothing about."
As the former Yankees manager departs for Lipstick City to manage the Dodgers, it's certain Kay won't be shedding any tears. Nor will he be receiving an invitation to a Torre Bon Voyage party. Through Torre's 12-year Yankees career, Torre and Kay - it is fair to say - were not on the same page.
Still, in his role as TV play-by-play voice of the Bombers on the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network, Kay never labeled Torre as selfish, or even hinted he tanked when it was time to stand up for one of his coaches. If Kay felt so strongly about this, why didn't he offer the information as either opinion - or fact - during a Yankees telecast?
Stop laughing. While Torre was managing the Yankees to 12 straight playoff trips - and four World Series titles - there would be no criticizing, and very limited second-guessing, the manager on YES.
Any stabbing was done behind Torre's back. The "truth" - or any particular broadcaster's version of it - is not a priority to the stooges running Al Yankzeera.
Their thing is more about increasing the value of YES, and covering their own backsides, than producing quality baseball telecasts.
Anyway, while Kay was yacking about Torre's "graveyard" of mistreated Yankees coaches, he failed to mention how George Steinbrenner tried to "bury" Don Zimmer alive when he instructed Al Yank executive producer John Filippelli to never put Torre's bench coach on camera.
This was just one way Yankees suits - through their YES puppets - were able to annoy Torre, even when he was riding high. There were also those infamous planted questions - delivered by Suzyn (Georgie Girl) Waldman and Kimberly Jones - during the manager's postgame press conferences.
Judging by the totally Twinkie treatment Joe Girardi received from YES yesterday at his introductory press conference, the Yankees' new manager should not be concerned with any covert interference from the propaganda machine.
Girardi worked at the network last season. He now owns an Al Yank diploma. Does anyone really think his former booth buddies (some of whom he played with) are going to offer an honest analysis of his managerial skills, especially if the Bombers don't get off to a fast start?
It may be up to Girardi to gather his former TV mates in spring training and say, "Boys, I understand the job, do what you have to do." Honest encouragement, albeit the kind that conflicts with YES' current singular mission: Offer such extreme Girardi hype that fans' memories of Torre will eventually fade.
This is why, during YES' coverage of Girardi's coronation, neither Kay or Bob Lorenz asked the new manager about his fractured relationship with Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and the Florida front office.
Nor did they inquire (most everyone else has) about Josh Johnson's arm injury. And they didn't even ask Girardi about his rather strange encounter with respected Marlins broadcaster (and former Yankees radio voice) Tommy Hutton in the Marlins players' lounge.
Instead, Kay and Lorenz went Charmin with questions such as: "What was it like putting the pinstripes on?" Or, "Will you bring some National League style (managing) to the Yankees?"
Even before Girardi hit the podium, Kay was selling the man's "unbelievable" broadcasting work ethic. Kay would have everyone believe that Girardi prepared for telecasts like no other TV analyst currently working in the major leagues. That's hard to prove, but it does help build Girardi's image.
And if anyone, while pumping up Girardi, can cast aspersions on Torre, well, that's cool, too. The tone was already set by Hank (Boy George) Steinbrenner, who was clearly speaking for the organization when he labeled Torre an ingrate. This was after St.Joe copped an attitude while rejecting the Yankees' final offer.
That was also the day the door opened to hire Girardi. Yesterday, the process of building him into the next Yankees managing legend began in earnest.
Joe Torre? Now, he's a non-person.
Only on YES.
braissman@nydailynews.com
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