11-03-07 - Welcome to the New and Improved LA DodgerTalk

After site reconstruction, we are back!  Give me your input about the site and ease of use, please!   I hope to make this a cool place and resource for Dodger fans.

I am the first to admit that I am biased on the part of Joe Torre.  I think the main reason is that he bears a striking resemblance to my late father, not just physically, but in the fact that his presence commands respect.  My father was strict, but beloved.  Passionate, but level-headed.  Intelligent, but down-to-earth.  I see these same characteristics in Joe Torre.   It can easily be argued that Joe Torre is not a better Field General than Grady Little.  I could take either side in

that argument.  Every manager is going to get second-guessed as to their in-game tactics and lineup usage.  You rarely heard me second-guess Grady however (or any manager).  Baseball strategy is very subjective in many areas and I beleive that the results speak for themselves. 

The Dodgers did not hire Joe Torre for his game management, lineup implementation or strategy.  They hired him to repair a fractured clubhouse, win back cynical fans, attract free agents and be the face of a struggling team.  That’s what Joe Torre brings to the table.  Grady Little was beloved by most players, but he was not a commanding presence.  I have observed him in Vero quite a bit and I would say that he is most definitely a laid-back “good ole’ boy.”  In fact, I said that Grady Little was an “old 58.”  Conversely, Joe Torre is a “young 67.” The Dodgers have emptied their 40 man roster and have 13 vacancies to fill. Torre, excluded in recent years from the Yankees player moves, has asked/demanded a larger role in that area for the Dodgers.  In fact, he will accompany Ned Colletti to the GM’s meetings next week.

Tim McCarver told the LA TIMES:  “Anyone who ever attached themselves to Joe’s wagon, and he was an absolutely terrific player who drew a lot of attachments, knew he would eventually be a lay-down success as a manager,” McCarver said from his Sarasota, Fla., home. “It was a lay-down because of his knowledge of the game and his skill in handling people.”   McCarver went on to say: “If there is a convoluted situation between the young players and veteran players with the Dodgers, and I only know what I read, you think of Grady Little’s parting and there was none of the response that you heard from the Yankee players — and I personally think the world of Grady as a person and a manager.”    Even Derek Lowe, who was a champion of Little when he was hired, did not bemoan his parting, and actually said:  “Playing against him and seeing how good he is at winning, when you think of Joe Torre, you think of winning,” said Derek Lowe, who played against Torre’s Yankees while pitching for Little in Boston.  “It’s a huge step in the right direction. If I was a fan, I’d be extremely excited. We just got arguably the best manager out there and you can’t put Joe Torre on a team that doesn’t have the talent to win it all.”  - From Ken Gurnick, Dodgers.com

Grady Little, great guy that he was did not command the respect Joe Torre does.  Joe can be the face of the franchise at a time Tommy is heading off into the sunset.   For those who say the Dodgers botched this and that Grady Little got a raw deal, all I can say is that you must believe in the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus as well.  Baseball is a business that does not operate in a vacuum!  Grady first discussed leaving with Ned right after the season (the Dodgers chose not to publicize that) and Ned established dialoge with Joe Girardi’s agent.  Girardi wanted the Yanks job, so the Dodgers had to wait and see what happend there.  It would have been foolish and insulting, to deal with Torre at that point.  Grady was the Dodger’s manager and might have well stayed manager of the Dodgers had Girardi and Torre both turned them down.   Grady was willing to leave and the Dodgers were willing to let him, but they needed a better option and wait was all they could do.    Business isn’t always pretty and unless you have been there, it’s hard to understand.  This I do know:  We are now a better team than at the end of 2007!  Joe Torre will help us attract the free agents we want and at the end of the day, Dodger fans will be happier.

DODGER NOTES:

1.  The LA TIMES reports  that Torre’s staff is allegedly shaping up with Mattingly, Bowa, Honeycutt and Duncan being on it.  Two of Torre’s past coaches with the Yankees, Lee Mazzilli and Jose Cardenal, also have been mentioned as strong possibilities.   Another possibility is former Cincinnati manager Dave Miley, who has ties to Torre after managing the Yankees’ Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre affiliate the past two seasons and also has ties to Dodgers assistant general manager DeJon Watson dating to Watson’s stint as the Reds’ scouting director.  - Tony Jackson of the Daily News.

2.  Left-hander Randy Wolf, who had his 2007 season cut short by shoulder surgery and had his 2008 option declined, said he wanted to be back with the Dodgers next season.  Wolf said his agent, Arn Tellum, has had preliminary discussions with Colletti.

3.  Hawaiian Winter League - Josh Bell is struggling at .191, Rogowski is at .230 and Mitchell is at .254 - nothing to write about!

4.  Arizona Fall League - After a slow start Xavier Paul has raised his average to .273 after being moved to the leadoff spot.  “Rake” DeWitt continues to rake to the tune of .361!    Andy LaRoche is hitting .333 for Team USA and Delwyn Young is scalding the league to the tune of .524 (I think he deserves a shot in LA).  Justin Orenduff continues to shine with a 1.80 ERA as does Corey Wade with a 1.69 ERA.  Greg Miller is regressing with a 12.32 ERA!