Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Joe Torre huh?


Grady Little resigned today. Or in other words, he was softly thrown out the door without complete embarrassment. They tried to make sure it didn't hit him on the way out.
He cited "personal reasons" for resignation. I didn't realize he had such a "personal" relationship with future Dodger manager Joe Torre.
The Dodgers did not handle this the right way. By all accounts Grady Little was a good person, though he failed as a manager. He did not deserve the secretive dealings with a free agent manager and the public way the situation played out.
Bill Plaschke says the Dodgers could have hired Torre 13 days ago.
Like in many of the other dealings under the new administration (Frank McCourt), the Dodgers have screwed up.
If they hire Joe Torre, as reports have indicated it would go a long way to rectify some of the anger in LA.
Torre brings a buzz back to the Dodgers. With that buzz comes a real pressure to win, unseen in the past few years. The fans will always come. The Dodgers were tops in the NL in attendance. Expectations were high, but nowhere near the expectations Joe Torre faced every year. This season, with a larger national spotlight, Torre and the Dodgers will face an increased amount of scrutiny. And maybe that's good. Maybe there will be more accountability, smarter decisions in the front office and as a result, more wins.
My only question about Torre is this: In his 12 seasons with the Yankees, Torre won with veterans. The Dodgers have one of the youngest albeit most talented teams in the majors. Can Torre adjust to a group of players completely different than the ones he was successful with? Or will management break up the Dodgers young stars and splurge on veterans?
As good as Torre is, his first two managerial stints were anything but spectacular.
One thing is certain, however.
He's a lot better than Grady Little.

Food for thought:
If the Dodgers somehow sign A-Rod, their lineup could look like this:
Furcal, Pierre, Martin, Arod, Loney, Kent, Kemp, Ethier, Pitcher

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