Thoughts on a Joe Torre Hiring

Since the Joe Torre rumors have begun, I have been asked by several friends about my opinions of the Dodgers hiring the former Yankee manager to run the Boys in Blue. My initial thought is whether Joe Torre is really as great a coach as the world makes him out to be. Yes, he did win 4 World Series in 5 years, but he did so with future Hall of Famers Roger Clemens (once), Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera on the roster. They also had a bunch of steady veterans including Paul O’Neill, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, and Tino Martinez. In other words, it was virtually a perfect storm with the right mix of pitching and clutch hitting and its unclear how large Joe Torre was in making them successful.

After that run, they made the playoffs each year but underachieved with the highest payroll in baseball. Again, its unclear whether Joe Torre had any input in compiling the rosters that included disastrous contracts to Jason Giambi, Carl Pavano, Johnny Damon, Jaret Wright, and Kei Igawa. All in all, I have no idea whether he’s a great manager or not.

Living in New York for three years during his stint as Yankee skipper, I can say that Joe Torre is masterful when it comes to handling the media. In a place where the local tabloid newspapers consider Alex Rodriguez’s nightlife headline news, Torre always handled the obnoxious NY sports beat with class and often accepted blame for sub-par performances on the field. There is no denying this is one of Joe Torre’s greatest gifts.

Since I have never been in the Yankee clubhouse to see how he interacts with the players, I can only give my impression of Torre’s baseball savvy based on what I’ve seen watching a bunch of Yankee games in recent years— Joe Torre’s in-game demeanor resembles that of Bernie in Weekend at Bernie’s. There were times when I was sure he was asleep and other times I was unsure if he even said a word to any of his players. I may be all wrong on this and his stature in the dugout as the stoic leader may in fact be what his players feel, but for me…I have no idea.

I also heard ESPN’s Bill Simmons discussing the Joe Torre hire. He had a valid point in asking, “what does Joe Torre know about the National League?” Even if we assume that Joe Torre is a great manager, it is clear that managing in the American League is totally different that the NL, and its hard to gauge whether the transition will be a smooth one. Incorporating double switches, and sacrifice bunts are integral aspects of the NL game that Torre never had to deal with for the past 12 years in the AL.

Ultimately, I think the Dodgers have way more questions than who the manager is that I felt should have been the #1 off-season concern (3B, a power hitter, starting pitching, lefty bullpen specialist, and getting rid of Juan Pierre somehow all come to mind.). Then again, if getting Joe Torre is part of the package in obtaining Alex Rodriguez, then I have no problem with it. Until then, I’m on the fence on this one.