I agree that Torre deserves some of the credit for Steinbrenner calming down, age is as much of a cause, as is failing health and then the World Series' victories were somehow more satisfying to him than those of the '70s because the team seemed so dominant.
Even so, he must been on prozac or something - remember how many managers he fired in the 70s and how many times ?
Torre was a good, maybe even great manager - though of course he had the horses, but he also knew how to manage them and not screw it up - up through maybe 2000 at the latest though in my view. I think even the 2001 World Series there are some glitches - giving away game 6 down only 4 runs for example, or not using Mendoza for an out or two in the 9th of game 7 when he had been unhittable up to that point in the Series and this way you had that much more from Rivera if needed or if Mendoza ran into trouble.
But after that point he engaged in what is known as magical thinking - relying on the old reliables even when it was clear they weren't the same - thinking Sojo would get the key heroic hit because he had at other times years before, playing Bernie instead of Lofton in Center when both were fading, etc. Loyalty is a good thing, but it does not win games or pennants. Pitching Kevin Brown in ..well you know,
As for Showalter, it is quite possible that he is a more talented manager. But he is especially good with young teams and we haven't seen him with a mostly veteran team and a winner. He is also boring and my mother hates how he sits sorts of on the side of his thigh in the dugout and our family that is a serious detriment.