The Journal News reports the Los Angeles Dodgers will fire Grady Little and hire Joe Torre as their new manager. Joe will bring Don Mattingly with him as his bench coach.
The Dodgers were 82-80 this season under Little and were beset by clubhouse unrest. Owner Frank McCourt, a Boston native, decided Torre is best suited to quell that situation.
Torre turned down a one-year offer to remain as manager of the Yankees on Oct. 18. He had been with the Yankees 12 seasons, winning four World Series championships.
This is great for all parties involved. If there is one thing at which Joe Torre excels, that is building a cohesive clubhouse. Joe gets to continue his managerial career with another of baseball’s flagship franchises and a more laid back owner and fanbase. Even those who would normally criticize his in-game decisions will not complain because he will represent a major upgrade over Grady Little tactically. The team he takes over has enough talent to win now. He also is likely to make less than the $5 million the Yankees offered, proving his decision to walk away was about more than money. There will be no more critics claiming his ego would not allow him to take a paycut. It will be strange to see Don Mattingly in another uniform, but this is great for him. He gets to continue his Major League coaching career with his mentor and go to the organization where his son plays in the minors. Everybody comes out a winner here, except Grady Little and the Yankees.
