This silly thought crossed my mind late in Game 3 tonight. The Yankees were up 8-3 and Kyle Farnsworth got up in the bullpen.

George Costanza.

I’m thinking, Joe Torre’s trying to get fired by the Yankees the way George Costanza did, trying “to go out in a final blaze of incompetence” or something like that. I’m kidding. But the idea of using Farnsworth in a do-or-die situation, job on the line along with the series and the season, seems rather professionally suicidal, doesn’t it? Kind of like wiping ripe strawberry juice on Babe Ruth’s uniform and dragging the World Series trophy around the parking lot.

At any rate, Torre had been asked before the game if, given the threats by George Steinbrenner of win or else, he’d be safe by somehow coming back and winning the series agianst Cleveland.

“Til next series, right?� he said. He laughed. So did everybody else.

GM Brian Cashman said he supports Torre, and that Steinbrenner supports him.

Steinbrenner just has a funny way of showing it.

“No one’s promised tomorrow, myself included,� Cashman said. “hat tomorrow brings, we’re hoping to put tomorrow off, far off, if we can. That means, obviously, extending our season not just by one day, but deep into October.�

Speaking of which, Mr. October, who is on Stienbrenner’s advisory staff, a friend of Torre, and a confidante of A-Rod, wasn’t wild about the threat hanging over the manager.

“You’ve got pressure enough when you’re 0-2,� Reggie Jackson said. “The game is tough as it is, the pressure is here. It is what it is. You’re down 0-2. People expect you to win. We’ve got the highest payroll. We’ve won in the past. We haven’t won in a long time. Is any of that new? Not really.�

Jackson was still talking about Torre’s situation, and the series, before Game 3 began, when he said: “As long as you have a bat in your hand and an out left before the game’s over, you can rewrite your story.â€?

That’s what Torre is hoping. Unless he’s trying to go down like Costanza.