Report: Torre and Mattingly to Dodgers

by sanantonecub on Oct 29, 2007 10:20 PM CDT

The Los Angeles Dodgers have decided to fire manager Grady Little and replace him with former Yankees manager Joe Torre, The Journal News has learned.

Torre, 67, could be named manager as soon as tomorrow, according to two sources close to the situation. Don Mattingly is expected to accompany Torre to Los Angeles as his bench coach. Torre is also interested in hiring Kevin Long, his hitting coach with the Yankees.

http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071029/SPORTS01/710290436

Wow. I haven't seen this posted anywhere else, but this shakes up the N.L. and the west for sure...

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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A-rod

If that's the case, I can see A-rod following.

by Ghost of Fred Merkle on Oct 29, 2007 10:36 PM CDT reply actions

I would agree completely.

n/t

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Oct 30, 2007 3:59 AM CDT up reply actions

If he goes......

to LA, what position does he play? If he's at third, where's Nomar? If he's at short, where's Furcal?

by fuzzycubfan on Oct 30, 2007 6:03 AM CDT up reply actions

I doubt it

A-Rod was never one of Torre's guys, so I don't see him following Torre unless the money is there.

However, I can't imagine either nomar or furcal (both with 1 year remaining if I recall) blocking an ARod acquisition

Eamus Ursuli!

by WGNstatic on Oct 30, 2007 7:08 AM CDT up reply actions

Where's Nomar?

I'll tell you where Nomar is -- at the end of his usefulness as a baseball player. Slugging .371 does not make you a productive third baseman.

Seriously, Nomar barely outhit Ryan Theriot last season, and he comes with injury concerns and is less defensively useful.

FREE CARMEN PIGNATIELLO!

by cwyers on Oct 30, 2007 12:11 PM CDT up reply actions

Good For Torre

If this happens, I'm glad for him. I was impressed with his press conference a couple of weeks ago. ESPN cut away after about 45 minutes, but he was still answering whatever the reporters asked.

Mattingly's son plays in the Dodgers organization. I'm not sure if he's a major league prospect or not, but I'm sure being together during spring training will be nice for them.

by markleonette on Oct 29, 2007 11:11 PM CDT reply actions

Would you

welcome back Grady Little? He could be Piniella's eventual successor.

by fuzzycubfan on Oct 30, 2007 5:58 AM CDT reply actions

in 3 words.......I'd vote NO

n/t

by LuisSalazar on Oct 30, 2007 7:17 AM CDT up reply actions

Looks like Girardi is going to replace Torre:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AuHUDO8BALyrVsCwRvHMBikRvLYF?slug=ap-yankeesmanager&prov=a p&type=lgns

"I don't think anybody's paying attention to the Cubs." - Prince Fielder

by jasoniniowa on Oct 30, 2007 8:28 AM CDT reply actions

This is news!

n/t

MMMMM...Fernandos fajitas and margaritas

by Kinky Reggae on Oct 30, 2007 9:44 AM CDT reply actions

Yanks circle the drain...

Now that Torre has a good gig and ARod is outta there, let's enjoy the imploding of the Yankees! This is great baseball entertainment for the off season. They still have to sign Rivera, Pettit and Pasada. Wouldn't it be grand if those contracts all went south? I bet right now you couldn't get a toothpick up any of Steinbrenner's idiot son's asses! I do, however, feel for the old man right now. You know the old saying, "you harvest what you plant."

by drummerdude on Oct 31, 2007 1:43 AM CDT reply actions

I don't believe I'm saying this, but...

...actually I'm kinda impressed with the Sons of Steinbrenner, at least so far. If you believe the pundits (I know, big stretch), supposedly the family was firmly in Donnie Baseball's corner for the managerial gig, yet they listened to the baseball folks and went with Girardi. No way of knowing if that's actually true or not, but it sounds plausible to me.

More in the public eye though is the position the Sons took when they confirmed they were done with ARod after he opted out. That bit about "we don't want anyone who doesn't want to be a Yankee" has a rather pompous air to it, but given the situation, it seemed like the right thing to say. I know that if I were a Yankee fan (that's a huge, almost mathematically impossible "if" btw), I would be applauding that kind of statement.

Of course, it's real easy to come out looking like the good guy when you're up against Scott Boras... ;-)

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Oct 31, 2007 12:02 PM CDT up reply actions

oh, and let's say all the other contracts...

...do go south. Let's also say Abreu gets fat and lazy (like he did towards the end in Philly), Clemens leaves for good, more steroid stuff comes out about Giambi, and Damon pulls a hammie. Yep, let's say all the bad karma finally catches up with Yankees and they get dumped on big time. So even before season starts, they've got their backs to the wall big-time. And all this during the last year of Yankee Stadium, complete with the All-Star game.

I don't know (and don't really care) how the Sons would react to it, but can you think of anyone you'd rather have (besides Ditka or Ryan) managing a team put in that kind of position than Girardi? Man, he'd have those guys whipped up in a "us against them" frenzy from Day One all the way to the end of the season. The Bronx is Burning would be a Cub scout campfire compared to the media maelstrom that would encompass Yankee Stadium. Joe would be right in the middle of it, having the time of his life...

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Oct 31, 2007 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions