NEW YORK -- While owner George Steinbrenner decides whether to keep Joe Torre, Yankees players are supporting their manager.
Steinbrenner left New York and returned to Tampa on Monday, spokesman Howard Rubenstein told the Associated Press. Rubenstein said he was not able to speak with Steinbrenner to relay questions.
It was unclear whether Steinbrenner and Torre have spoken since the Yankees were eliminated Saturday by the Tigers in the American League Division Series, but the pair apparently did not meet before the Boss left town.
"I have not made up my mind yet," Steinbrenner told a reporter from Bloomberg News while leaving New York's Regency Hotel under police escort en route to Florida. He refused to answer further questions.
Since talking over after the 1995 season, Torre has managed the Yankees to nine consecutive AL East titles and 11 straight playoff appearances.
"He gave us every opportunity," left-hander Ron Villone said Monday, when a few more players came to Yankee Stadium to clean out their lockers. "He put us on the field at the right times. I mean we came through in a lot of different ways. We had some injuries.
"He put the right lineups out there for us to jell and do the right things to win enough games to make it to the playoffs. You can't point the finger at him. Point it at us."
There was no sign of Torre at Yankee Stadium on Monday, and the team's media-relations staff was unsure when he would give his annual summation.
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