He deserved more than being forced to take a two and a half hour flight to Tampa, just to be told he is welcome to come back, but must take a pay cut.

And, oh yeah, it’s a one-year guaranteed offer, so next year you might have to twist in the wind again.

So, there was no doubt the dignified skipper of the Yankees said no thanks and parted ways with the Bombers.

The Yankees got what they deserved.

After 12 years of October baseball, the team now has to look for a new manager, one who gets the respect of the players, fans and media and one who will keep the Steinbrenners at bay.

Good luck with that.

Taking the grass is greener approach, the Yankee brass figured it was time to part ways with their venerable manager. Giving him an offer which could be considered a slap in the face, Torre decided to move on rather than be “motivated” in October by million dollar bonuses. And this coming from a team that’s contemplating giving Alex Rodriguez $30 million a year and Mariano Rivera close to $20 million a season this offseason.

But this wasn’t about money. It was about respect and Torre didn’t get it from the Steinbrenners and the rest of the Yankee brass, who let him twist in the wind for 10 days.

Now they have to find a new manager. And who could do this job better than Torre?

Sure you have Don Mattingly, but he has no managerial experience and is tepid about taking the job. And if Donnie Baseball gets the position, what if he fails? Do you fire him and risk alienating one of the Yankee heroes of the 1980s?

Joe Girardi is also available, and he did more with less down in Florida for the 2006 season, even earning Manager of the Year. But this Joe dealt with rookies and other young players, not the high priced veterans. It’s not known if his style, which got him fired, will translate with the Yankees.

And if not them then whom? Bobby Valentine? Sure he can win and can handle New York, but the Bronx is not as forgiving as Flushing. If Bobby V. comes back will he mesh with the players or alienate the key ones like he did in Queens.

Or how about Tony LaRussa? The reporters will love him and his huggable manner. Every press conference will be treated like a deposition and forget about second guessing “The Genius” because he’s never wrong.

Then there are coaches like Larry Bowa and Tony Pena, both of whom are capable, but neither gets the blood rushing.

So, Torre was the best man for the job and in reality, the Yankees should have made a change last season while Lou Piniella was available if they wanted someone who can handle the job. Now, though, neither is available and the Bombers will look elsewhere.

As for the venerable skipper, let’s hope he gets a new managerial gig soon and hopefully one close to New York. Nothing will be better than having the Yankees be reminded of their mistake, while trying to solve a new set of problems, ones which should never have happened if they treated Torre with respect.

At Yankee Stadium tonight and since “The Bronx Scene” – or “The Amazin’ Scene” for that matter – is not set up yet, I will use this for my baseball blogging for the time being.

Ok, today, Matt DeSalvo is making his big league debut with Kei Igawa going to Tampa for now to work on his mechanics. DeSalvo becomes the 10th starting pitcher for the Bombers this season, making them the first team in history to use 10 starters in 30 games.   

Before the game, though, no one was talking about the new guy, but rather the old guy. Roger Clemens dominated the converstaion with the players happy and Joe Torre and Brian Cashman trying to justify the move, since the Rocket has special features in his contract like missing games when he wants.

This moves proves a few things. First George Steinbrenners sons, Hal and Hank, are gaining powerin the organization, because they had a lot of influence over this deal. Also Cashman said this move allows the team to add a pitcher without getting the farm system raped. So from that perspective, it’s a good move. 

And with the way the Yankees are going through pitchers, Clemens is needed. At 44, you wonder how much he has left and the way they announced it was somewhat embarassing, but you can’t argue with the need for the Rocket, even if he costs an arm and a leg [estimated at $153,000 a day for every day he will be active if he starts on June 1] and can take a holiday if he wishes.

Enough on Clemens, who now can buy subscriptions to NY Sportscene with his new found wealth.

Speaking of that, the new issue of NYS is now out with articles on Jorge Posada, Tom Renney, the Mets, Gil Hodges and more. For $25.50 a year, you get 12 issues, so please subscribe at www.nysportscene.com/subscribe.php.

And stay tuned tomorrow as I will be at Ranger breakup day in Greenburgh.