In 2006, the Yankees topped the American League with a 97-65 record and won their ninth straight AL East crown. Less than a month into the 2007 season, reportedly Joe Torre’s job as manager of the Yankees is on the line.

Torre’s status may be in limbo as the Yankees close out April with a 9-14 record. The 8-17 Royals will be the only AL club with a worse record going into May.

The Yankees’ poor start can be blamed mostly on an injury-riddled pitching staff that has had to turn to four minor league starters to survive the first month. If rumors that Torre is at risk are true, however, it’s likely that owner George Steinbrenner has yet to come to terms with his team’s first-round exit in the 2006 playoffs. Perhaps the skipper is on the hot seat for back-to-back opening-round losses in October, following Boston’s stunning comeback against New York in the 2004 AL championship series.

Since managers are usually fired because the owner doesn’t believe his team will win under the outgoing manager, let’s look at how slow starts have played out for the Yankees during Torre's 11-year tenure.

April often hasn’t been a stellar month in the Bronx. Although this is only the second April that the Yankees have posted a sub-.500 record under Torre, they have been just 1-3 games over .500 five times in the opening month.

On the other hand, the seasons with the four best Aprils under Torre have produced four of New York’s six World Series appearances. They have won three of their four titles after starting 21-6 (2003), 17-6 (1998), 14-7 (1999) and 15-8 (2000) in April.

The Yankees were less spectacular at the start in their other two World Series seasons. They were 13-10 in Torre’s first month as the Yankees’ manager, but went on to take Atlanta four games to two in the 1996 World Series. In 2001, New York opened 14-12 before losing a dramatic seven-game World Series to Arizona in the fall.

Yes, it’s true that how New York plays in April has some correlation to the team’s fate in October. Yet, how many teams in the last decade have made enough postseason appearances to have a sample size worthy of even looking at the April-October correlation? No other team has appeared in six World Series in the last 11 years. Only Atlanta, Florida and St. Louis have made it to the World Series twice in that span. The Yankees have won four titles in those six appearances. Only Florida has claimed two championships.

If the Boss thinks he can do better than that, he has every right to make a change. In light of the media pressure of playing in the Bronx for the most storied franchise in the game’s history, however, being on the field for the final out in October six times in 11 tries seems remarkable. No team has enjoyed that kind of success since the Yankees’ dynasty of 1949-64.

Torre’s calm demeanor seems to be a terrific fit for the craziness of baseball in New York. There hasn’t been a World Series title since 2000, when the Yankees defeated the Mets in five games, but Torre may be the best bet to make King George a happy man in October once again.