Joe Torre has been named manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers in what is whispered to be a “giant shakeup” of the Dodgers organization. Peter Abraham of the Journal-News had the scoop late Monday, including the news that Don Mattingly would continue as Torre’s bench coach, venturing outside of pinstripes for the first time in his career. Mattingly’s son, Preston Mattingly, is in the Dodgers organization, making the transition easier. It also appears that Torre will bring hitting coach Kevin Long as well. You remember Long, the guy who Alex Rodriguez credits for his success this season. No word yet on other coaching positions, though Mariano Duncan might be able to stay at first.
Behind the scenes, Grady Little was fired mostly for not being Joe Torre. There will be talk of clubhouse problems, but Little was undermined in the clubhouse by ownership. The more interesting news will be when the front office maneuvering plays out. GM Ned Colletti, AGM Kim Ng, and development guru Logan White have all been rumored as targets in the shifting sands of the Dodgers hierarchy. The Torre move is clearly coming from the McCourt family as well as consigliere Tommy Lasorda. If player moves - really big player moves - are made shortly, we’ll know that the purse strings now have become puppet strings.
Is there more pent-up news ready to break after the World Series embargo? There’s definitely rumblings. I’m expecting news in St. Louis and Chicago as soon as Tuesday.
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