If anyone would look at Strawberry (He actually works for the Mets now and not the Yankees) and not want to hear his opinion because he's an ex-convict drug user (which is not a reason why someone still wouldn't know about a team that he was a major part of for several seasons), then you would not want to hear Gooden for all of the same reasons. That being said, Torre seems like the kind of manager whose ability to relate to certain players and not relate to others is based upon performance. Sheffield's comments on race seem trite, petty, and below someone of his longevity in the game. Not sure on the deal with Lofton, but I am guessing that Reggie Jackson, Bob Watson, Derek Jeter, Tim Raines, and Willie Randolph- all men who Torre has worked closely with before Sheffield was anywhere new New York, would object to the idea that he treats blacks differently then whites in the clubhouse.