Supreme skipper

PHILADELPHIA – To Phillies manager Charlie Manuel: Neither you nor many of your predecessors can actually relate to this, but …

There are managers who, when blessed or burdened with an embarrassment of riches, either choke on it or thrive.

Joe Torre is very much in the latter category.

As usual, the New York Yankees manager has superstars backed up at most every position, like jets stacked up in holding patterns over Philadelphia International Airport on a bad weather day.

That’s what happens when your team’s owner, in this case, George $teinbrenner, buys you all you want in the form of quality players – then goes out and buys you some more.

Witness the $15 million insurance policy – Bobby Abreu – just added to the stable of all-star outfielders.

Don’t assume that the money rather than the trust factor makes things work. Steinbrenner has thrown millionaires by the bunch at Lou Piniella, Billy Martin, Bucky Dent and Buck Showalter, and more often than not they flee, babbling about the sheer madness of power – his, i.e. The Boss’, not theirs.

Torre took the zoo out of the Bronx in a way that many other Steinbrenner-era managers could not.

His deft touch, tough hide, media savvy, and incredibly accurate compass all resulted in easily calculable success. Witness the 10 postseason berths the Yankees have gained in Torre’s 10 1/2-year tenure.

Year in and year out, team after team of high-priced Bronx Bombers has been accepting of the way Torre handles the delicate balancing act.

They trust Torre to find enough at-bats or innings for players often used to more.

“I feel good about that. I feel it’s an important word you used – ‘trust,’ ” Torre said. “I want them to trust me because I try to be as honest as I can with them. And, again, the fact is I’d like to think that I am loyal to everybody, but the most important thing is being loyal to the 25 (players) and what’s best for the team.”

Over the last decade, Steinbrenner may have opined, even, dare we say, “meddled.” And Brian Cashman, the general manager, is a proven architect.

But have no doubt – Torre is the ultimate arbiter on the field. And he’s made some tough decisions during the biggest stages of championship seasons. Remember when he benched one-third of his starting lineup during the 1996 World Series against the Atlanta Braves?

Torre replaced three noted veterans – third baseman Wade Boggs, right fielder Paul O’Neill, and first baseman Tino Martinez – with Charlie Hayes, Darryl Strawberry and Cecil Fielder, respectively.

Bold to be sure, the moves also proved to be right on. Instead of blowing up in Torre’s face, they helped get all six of those veterans World Series championship rings.

“Over the years, I was lucky. I had Strawberry and Big Daddy here at the same time – and these guys were, ‘Go ahead, go ahead,’ ” Torre said of the moves. “Chili Davis, it was the same thing. Guys have been ready to play whenever I’ve called on them.

“For the 10 years I’ve been here, I’ve had very, very little guys only concerned with themselves, and that’s great.”

Torre is counting on more of the same this time around from Bernie Williams – the part-time-outfielder-turned- starting-right-fielder-turned-role-player who Tuesday night gave way to Abreu in right field.

Torre will expect no less cooperation from Gary Sheffield if he returns next month from a wrist injury.

The guy Williams replaced will also have to adjust to having Abreu around, perhaps even reinvent himself as a first baseman, something Sheffield and Torre hinted at upon Abreu’s arrival.

“He already told me he’s already ordered a glove,” Torre joked.

Sheffield’s take on it all?

“The first thing I did was give him a hug,” he said of Abreu. “That’s the way this clubhouse is. We want to win. Alex moved to third base when he got here.”

That was a reference to Alex Rodriguez – an MVP and an outstanding shortstop – making a career shift to play alongside all-star shortstop Derek Jeter.

“It’s not about egos,” Sheffield said.

Williams agreed, reminding, as Torre did, that when he signed he never expected to play as much as he has.

“This year is going to have a lot of defining moments,” Williams said. “The way I’m going to look at the year is that I am going to have an opportunity, or maybe two or three, to make my mark, and I am going to be ready for it.”

Williams then promptly went out on the night Abreu debuted at Yankee Stadium and delivered a three-run double in the Yankees’ 5-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Williams contributed, all right – just as Joe Torre trusted him to do.