I know you can’t see me right now, but I’m jumping up and down and doing cartwheels like a guy who has just downed three Starbucks Iced Coffees in a matter of 15 minutes.
I know you can’t hear me right now, but I’m shouting from the rooftops in joy, excitement and anticipation.
I know you can’t read my mind, but now, even in the middle of the NFL, NBA and college basketball seasons, I can’t wait for baseball season to begin.
And it’s all thanks to Joe Torre.
On Monday, the Los Angeles Dodgers introduced Torre as the new manager for the team, ushering in a new era.
I’ve been a Dodger fan ever since I was a kid growing up in Los Angeles. The Dodgers were always on the television, and Vin Scully’s smooth voice greeted me whenever I stepped into my dad’s car. And, if you really want to know, since the 1988 season, when I was 1, I’ve been to at least one game a season. In other words, I’m loyal to Dodger Blue.
Yet, for the past 11 years, I’ve been a fan of a team that didn’t have a manager who could give them a legitimate opportunity to return to the World Series, much less win a playoff series. Ever since the great Tommy Lasorda retired in the middle of the 1996 season, the coaching job has been filled with mediocre managers who have never had a realistic chance at achieving any sort of long-term success.
Bill Russell? In too far over his head, he was rushed in when Lasorda suddenly retired and ran out when they started slow. Davey Johnson? He relied too much on his past record and didn’t get along with management. Jim Tracy? Do you even have to ask?
Grady Little? Where to start? I’m one to forget past errors and to look forward, but a part of me is convinced that he never quite recovered from that night in the Bronx in October 2003. Then there’s his actual demeanor; he’s monotone, he can’t rally his players, he refuses to hold players accountable for their actions or inactions, he can’t manage a game, and I’m just being nice.
But now we have Torre, and with Torre, for the first time in what seems like a lifetime, the Dodgers have a chance at the World Series. Torre’s track record is one that most clubs wish to have in their history as a franchise.
In 12 seasons as the manager of the New York Yankees, Torre guided them to the playoffs all 12 years, won 10 American League East titles, six American League pennants, and four World Series championships.
Let’s be honest, the Dodgers need him. Last season, at the end of July, the Dodgers had the best record in the National League yet they imploded the rest of the season, finishing the year on a 3-11 slide.
During that losing stretch, it became apparent that the Dodger clubhouse was split between young players making names for themselves and selfish veterans unwilling to realize that the younger players were deserving of playing time. A big reason for that situation was Little. He failed to keep the team afloat through controversy and attempted to please everyone with a lineup that seemingly changed everyday.
However, Torre can cure whatever ails this clubhouse has. Players listen to him and play for him because they respect him. He’s handled any controversies thrown his way, whether it be Gary Sheffield accusing him of racism or the New York media ceaselessly calling for his head.
So with Torre as the Dodgers’ headman, only one question remains: When will A-Rod don Dodger Blue as well?