Joe Torre has made it official: he will not be coming back to manage the Dodgers after this season. His replacement will be hitting coach Don Mattingly, who has worked for Torre since 2004.
Torre came to L.A. in 2008 with a three-year contract. The previous year, the Dodgers went 82-80 under Grady Little while fading down the stretch. Torre won four World Series titles with the Yankees, but was more or less forced out of town after losing the ALDS to the Indians, 3-1.
Right away, Torre made an impact. He guided the Dodgers to an NL West title with an 84-78 record, thanks in large part to the torrid run by Manny Ramirez when he was acquired at the trade deadline. They took down the heavily-favored Cubs in the NLDS with a sweep, but fell to the Phillies in the NLCS, 4-1.
The next season brought another NL West crown with an even better record of 95-67. Despite the 50-game suspension of Manny Ramirez, the Dodgers remained one of the best teams in the league the whole season. Even with home-field advantage in the NLDS, the Dodgers were still not favored against the Cardinals. It didn't matter, as the Dodgers got another sweep. However, just like last year, the Phillies took the NLCS in five games.
This season started off with hope of getting to the next level, but reality has been much different. After being only two games in back of the NL West lead at the All-Star break, the Dodgers have gone 23-36 since then to fall 11 games back. The combination of a horrible offense and a shaky bullpen have been the downfall.
I'm not surprised that Torre made this call. I would have been more surprised if he said he was coming back. With ownership in a mess and the financial situation cloudy to say the least, I think Torre just had enough. And who can blame him? He's won enough in his career that he doesn't need to hang on anywhere he doesn't want to anymore.
I'm mixed on how I think Torre has done as a manager this year. It's not fair to totally blame him for the horrible second half. There were so many games lost from either a poor offense or a blown save. But I have to wonder if too many players tuned him out. I just don't see much, if any, fire from too many players. And that's a big problem.
Mattingly has been groomed for this spot for awhile, and despite some rumors for Tim Wallach, he ultimately did get the gig. If he can he can get his players to show the passion and fire that he brought as a player, he'll be great. Someone with as much baseball background as him deserves a shot at some point.
Still, I'm not sure if I'm too crazy about this move. I can't shake the fact that guys like Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier (excluding his red hot start) have gone backwards this year. They're both good enough to be in the MVP race year after year. But this season, they've spent more time striking out than anything else. Mattingly has to take some of that blame.
I hope this all works out for the Dodgers. Change can be a good thing. I haven't had the sense for awhile that Torre would be back, so maybe the players are relieved to have this over with and to have a different voice going forward.
If Mattingly can get the young guns back on track, and if the bullpen mess can be straightened out, the Dodgers can compete next year, even with ownership in flux. Donny Baseball has some of the pieces to succeed, now let's see if he can make things happen in 2011.
Showing posts with label Torre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Torre. Show all posts
Friday, September 17, 2010
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Read this book!
I’d like to take this time to introduce a book that I’ve been able to read a few excepts from - Evaluating Baseball's Managers, 1876-2008 by Chris Jaffe. Chris and I have traded a few emails back and forth, and I was fortunate enough to read about some of the most influential managers in Dodgers’ history.
First, a plug. It’s good stuff. And I’m not just saying that because he asked me to. In fact, he didn’t. He just wanted me to read it and provide a quick review. It’s a very detailed view about what makes managers successful (or unsuccessful for that matter). If you like baseball history, order this book.
While the book contains information about many managers dating back to the Brooklyn days, I’ll focus on Tommy Lasorda and Joe Torre and give his thoughts, followed by my own about his. Got it?
Tommy Lasorda. Still the most recognizable manager in the history of the Dodgers, and in baseball history for that matter. Lasorda won 1,599 career games, and was at the helm of one of the more unlikely World Series champions of all-time in 1988. Plus he bleeds Dodger blue. I’m jealous.
Jaffe focus mainly on Lasorda’s treatment of starting pitchers. In his words, “He used them as much as he could and his bullpen as little as he could.” This could be to a fault, however. Five pitchers – Rick Sutcliff, Fernando Valenzuela, Alejandro Pena, Orel Hershiser, and Ramon Martinez – started off like gangbusters, but were soon run into the ground. Too many innings too soon was the culprit. And those stats are undeniable.
The flip-side, as pointed out by Jaffe, was that Lasorda had a bunch of quality starters, so he may as well take advantage of them while he could. He let the starters be the ones to determine wins and losses, not the bullpen. In fact, only once did he have a closer get over 30 saves (Todd Worrell with 32 in 1995, Lasorda’s final full season).
Many wins came via the long ball as well. Combined with good starting pitching in the spacious Dodger Stadium, that translated to much success.
I’m glad Jaffe gave credit to the 1988 team and how Lasorda won with a team that talent-wise was certainly nothing special. In Jaffe’s words, “It takes a great manager to win with second-rate talent; which is a sign in Lasorda’s favor.”
Jaffe had a hard time determining if Lasorda was a good manager, or someone who promoted himself to be one, but really wasn’t. Of course I’m biased here and love Tommy, but it’s not like I grew up watching him manage much (I’m 29, in case you’re wondering). I can only go by what I read.
Based on what I read here, I think still think Lasorda was a fantastic motivator, but definitely did not trust his bullpen as much as he should have. Then again, he has two rings and I don’t, so there.
Joe Torre. Joe’s success is obviously due in large part to his years with the Yankees and claiming four championships. Jaffe recounts his days as skipper of the Mets, Braves, and Cardinals as more successful than his record might indicate. With each of those teams, other circumstances prevented more wins, such as Tom Seaver demanding a trade from the Mets in Torre’s first year and the ownership of the Braves and Cardinals overrating their own players.
With the Yankees, however, everything fell into place the second he took over in 1996. He installed confidence in his players, and as Jaffe put it, “A manager’s confidence can rub off on players, and the quieter the confidence, the more effective it can be.” After losing the first two games of the ’96 World Series to the Braves, patience and confidence helped the Yankees sweep the next four.
Most impressive is his postseason winning percentage in New York, .617. That beats his regular season winning percentage of .605. That’s amazing.
Unfortunately, the lumps he took at the end of his Yankee tenure helped cast a cloud over his true ability as a skipper. Jaffe mentions that his quiet confidence seemed to vanish, such as the time he dropped Alex Rodriguez to eighth in the lineup facing elimination against the Tigers in 2006. Jaffe said this was “aimless thrashing,” but I can’t blame Torre for trying to make something happen. A-Rod was just useless in that series, so he pretty much played his way down the order.
Perhaps the rough ending of Torre’s years in New York was because of exhaustion from the job, as Jaffe claims. And that’s probably the best way to put it. A great comparison is made between managing the Yankees and coaching Notre Dame football: win now, don’t stop winning, then win some more. It’s just a tremendous amount of pressure.
He’s gotten back on track in Los Angeles, taking the Dodgers to consecutive NLCS appearances with a young core of players like Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Russell Martin. For now anyway, Torre seems rejuvenated and back on top of his game.
There’s plenty more to read about, as I’ve only scratched the surface. It’s hard to argue with Jaffe’s opinions. He backs them up with rock-solid statistics, so he’s done his homework (my guess is he did A LOT of homework for this one). Even if you don’t agree, it’s worth a read.
Check it out by ordering here.
First, a plug. It’s good stuff. And I’m not just saying that because he asked me to. In fact, he didn’t. He just wanted me to read it and provide a quick review. It’s a very detailed view about what makes managers successful (or unsuccessful for that matter). If you like baseball history, order this book.
While the book contains information about many managers dating back to the Brooklyn days, I’ll focus on Tommy Lasorda and Joe Torre and give his thoughts, followed by my own about his. Got it?
Tommy Lasorda. Still the most recognizable manager in the history of the Dodgers, and in baseball history for that matter. Lasorda won 1,599 career games, and was at the helm of one of the more unlikely World Series champions of all-time in 1988. Plus he bleeds Dodger blue. I’m jealous.
Jaffe focus mainly on Lasorda’s treatment of starting pitchers. In his words, “He used them as much as he could and his bullpen as little as he could.” This could be to a fault, however. Five pitchers – Rick Sutcliff, Fernando Valenzuela, Alejandro Pena, Orel Hershiser, and Ramon Martinez – started off like gangbusters, but were soon run into the ground. Too many innings too soon was the culprit. And those stats are undeniable.
The flip-side, as pointed out by Jaffe, was that Lasorda had a bunch of quality starters, so he may as well take advantage of them while he could. He let the starters be the ones to determine wins and losses, not the bullpen. In fact, only once did he have a closer get over 30 saves (Todd Worrell with 32 in 1995, Lasorda’s final full season).
Many wins came via the long ball as well. Combined with good starting pitching in the spacious Dodger Stadium, that translated to much success.
I’m glad Jaffe gave credit to the 1988 team and how Lasorda won with a team that talent-wise was certainly nothing special. In Jaffe’s words, “It takes a great manager to win with second-rate talent; which is a sign in Lasorda’s favor.”
Jaffe had a hard time determining if Lasorda was a good manager, or someone who promoted himself to be one, but really wasn’t. Of course I’m biased here and love Tommy, but it’s not like I grew up watching him manage much (I’m 29, in case you’re wondering). I can only go by what I read.
Based on what I read here, I think still think Lasorda was a fantastic motivator, but definitely did not trust his bullpen as much as he should have. Then again, he has two rings and I don’t, so there.
Joe Torre. Joe’s success is obviously due in large part to his years with the Yankees and claiming four championships. Jaffe recounts his days as skipper of the Mets, Braves, and Cardinals as more successful than his record might indicate. With each of those teams, other circumstances prevented more wins, such as Tom Seaver demanding a trade from the Mets in Torre’s first year and the ownership of the Braves and Cardinals overrating their own players.
With the Yankees, however, everything fell into place the second he took over in 1996. He installed confidence in his players, and as Jaffe put it, “A manager’s confidence can rub off on players, and the quieter the confidence, the more effective it can be.” After losing the first two games of the ’96 World Series to the Braves, patience and confidence helped the Yankees sweep the next four.
Most impressive is his postseason winning percentage in New York, .617. That beats his regular season winning percentage of .605. That’s amazing.
Unfortunately, the lumps he took at the end of his Yankee tenure helped cast a cloud over his true ability as a skipper. Jaffe mentions that his quiet confidence seemed to vanish, such as the time he dropped Alex Rodriguez to eighth in the lineup facing elimination against the Tigers in 2006. Jaffe said this was “aimless thrashing,” but I can’t blame Torre for trying to make something happen. A-Rod was just useless in that series, so he pretty much played his way down the order.
Perhaps the rough ending of Torre’s years in New York was because of exhaustion from the job, as Jaffe claims. And that’s probably the best way to put it. A great comparison is made between managing the Yankees and coaching Notre Dame football: win now, don’t stop winning, then win some more. It’s just a tremendous amount of pressure.
He’s gotten back on track in Los Angeles, taking the Dodgers to consecutive NLCS appearances with a young core of players like Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Russell Martin. For now anyway, Torre seems rejuvenated and back on top of his game.
There’s plenty more to read about, as I’ve only scratched the surface. It’s hard to argue with Jaffe’s opinions. He backs them up with rock-solid statistics, so he’s done his homework (my guess is he did A LOT of homework for this one). Even if you don’t agree, it’s worth a read.
Check it out by ordering here.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Torre may extend contract another year
It wasn't too long ago during the postseason that Joe Torre said he doesn't expect to stay past the 2010 season. But two straight NLCS berths and some unfinished business looks to have changed his mind.
Torre and Ned Colletti are in discussions to add another year to his contract through the 2011 season. With Colletti receiving an extension himself recently, it appears as if both sides want to keep a good thing going.
Also worth noting is that all of Torre's coaching staff, including Don Mattingly, are close to finalizing deals to stay. Mattingly interviewed for the Indians' opening during the playoffs (if eventually went to Manny Acta), and declined an interview with the Nationals. He'll stay on as the hitting instructor while waiting his call to manage one day.
It's a logical move on all sides. Torre has brought pride and stability back to LA after many years of a playoff drought. While he hasn't returned to the World Series, the Dodgers certainly have the pieces to make it happen.
As for Mattingly, it's definitely a good thing that he's coming back. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves by calling him the next manager. Take a look at the Lakers, for example. It sure looked like Kurt Rambis would take over for Phil Jackson, but Rambis didn't want to wait it out, so he's in Minnesota now. And who could blame him?
The point is that while it would be great for Mattingly to eventually take over, sometimes time and temptation prove to be too much.
Torre and Ned Colletti are in discussions to add another year to his contract through the 2011 season. With Colletti receiving an extension himself recently, it appears as if both sides want to keep a good thing going.
Also worth noting is that all of Torre's coaching staff, including Don Mattingly, are close to finalizing deals to stay. Mattingly interviewed for the Indians' opening during the playoffs (if eventually went to Manny Acta), and declined an interview with the Nationals. He'll stay on as the hitting instructor while waiting his call to manage one day.
It's a logical move on all sides. Torre has brought pride and stability back to LA after many years of a playoff drought. While he hasn't returned to the World Series, the Dodgers certainly have the pieces to make it happen.
As for Mattingly, it's definitely a good thing that he's coming back. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves by calling him the next manager. Take a look at the Lakers, for example. It sure looked like Kurt Rambis would take over for Phil Jackson, but Rambis didn't want to wait it out, so he's in Minnesota now. And who could blame him?
The point is that while it would be great for Mattingly to eventually take over, sometimes time and temptation prove to be too much.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Torre's right: Manny should skip the All-Star Game
Joe Torre made headlines this week by offering his candid opinion on whether or not Manny Ramirez should be an All-Star this year. Here's his comment:
My take on all of this is that Torre's right. I think Manny going to St. Louis would only cause more headaches for someone that doesn't need them. I can picture Manny being voted in, and all of the media attention would be on him and not on the other players that deserve their praise. It would basically be a giant circus.
I have no doubt that if he's not selected by the fans (he's currently fourth for outfielders) that the coaches will not pick him. First of all, Torre is one of the coaches, so it's not like he'd pick him after saying what he did. But the coaches would get grilled if they did pick him, so that's just not going to happen.
At the end of the day, everything will be much more peaceful for Manny, the Dodgers, and the All-Star Game as a whole with Manny staying back in Los Angeles on July 14. I'm pretty confident that will happen.
"No, I don't, and if you ask Manny, he'd give you the same answer," said Torre. "I understand a lot of it is a popularity contest and you want to give the manager the best players, but to me, the significance of the All-Star Game is to reward players who had a good first half."In case you don't know, Manny actually is eligible to play in the game July 14. His suspension is due to end on July 3, barring any rainouts. So the possibility of him being voted in is an intriguing one.
My take on all of this is that Torre's right. I think Manny going to St. Louis would only cause more headaches for someone that doesn't need them. I can picture Manny being voted in, and all of the media attention would be on him and not on the other players that deserve their praise. It would basically be a giant circus.
I have no doubt that if he's not selected by the fans (he's currently fourth for outfielders) that the coaches will not pick him. First of all, Torre is one of the coaches, so it's not like he'd pick him after saying what he did. But the coaches would get grilled if they did pick him, so that's just not going to happen.
At the end of the day, everything will be much more peaceful for Manny, the Dodgers, and the All-Star Game as a whole with Manny staying back in Los Angeles on July 14. I'm pretty confident that will happen.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Torre's new book creating an early buzz
Looks like the end of Joe Torre's Yankee years were much more interesting than we all thought.
In a new book set to be released on February 3, Torre has plenty of shots to take against his former organization that let him go after the 2007 season. The main focus seems to be on GM Brian Cashman's lack of support and the jealousy of Alex Rodriguez (called "A-Fraud by teammates!) of Derek Jeter's popularity.
The book is written by Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci, a very respected baseball analyst, so you know it's going to be good. Torre has given the indication ever since he left that Cashman was on his side, but now that tune seems to have changed.
There's not much else to say about the book now, but it looks like this story is just getting good. It looks like there's a bunch of frustration on Torre's part, and he's ready to let loose.
As I type this, ESPN's Buster Olney says that Cashman has no comment. I'm sure we'll be hearing more about this soon.
In a new book set to be released on February 3, Torre has plenty of shots to take against his former organization that let him go after the 2007 season. The main focus seems to be on GM Brian Cashman's lack of support and the jealousy of Alex Rodriguez (called "A-Fraud by teammates!) of Derek Jeter's popularity.
The book is written by Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci, a very respected baseball analyst, so you know it's going to be good. Torre has given the indication ever since he left that Cashman was on his side, but now that tune seems to have changed.
There's not much else to say about the book now, but it looks like this story is just getting good. It looks like there's a bunch of frustration on Torre's part, and he's ready to let loose.
As I type this, ESPN's Buster Olney says that Cashman has no comment. I'm sure we'll be hearing more about this soon.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Torre talks about roster decisions.... sort of.... ok not really!
Joe Torre came back from his winter hibernation to finally discuss the many roster questions he is faced with in year 1 of the LA experience. While many questions were asked, it's hard to say many, or any, of them were answered. Here's what he had to say:
- He has talked with Juan Pierre about competing for playing time with Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, but no final decision has been made about starters.
- When Pierre is in the lineup, it will be in the 1st or 2nd spot in the order because of his speed.
- He doesn't know if Rafael Furcal will still hit leadoff.
- He doesn't know if Jeff Kent will still his cleanup.
- He doesn't know if Russell Martin will hit 8th, where he wants someone who will take walks.
- In fact, he has no clue about a lineup yet, period.
- He has talked to Nomar Garciaparra about playing mostly 3rd, but other positions as well.
- But, he hasn't officially named Andy LaRoche as the starter at the hot corner yet.
- The bench may very well be comprised of possible future stars.
- He will not place a lefty in the starting rotation just for the heck of it.
All in all, he really didn't offer any perspective that we didn't already know. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Heck, it's still February. We'll have to check back in Spring Training before finally getting some answers.
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