6-4-2 — an Angels/Dodgers double play blog

Note: This post will stay at the top of the page as the story unfolds today. New stories on the Dodgers managerial situation beyond October 30 will get their own entry, or if we get confirmation on a new manager.

The Journal-News and New York Times are both reporting that the Dodgers have fired Grady Little, and replaced him with Joe Torre. Don Mattingly will follow Torre as a coach on his staff, according to the report. A conflicting report from the Times says:

Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti didn't respond to phone calls for the fifth day in a row. McCourt also hasn't returned calls and a Dodgers spokesman offered no comment.

(Via BTF.) I'm no fan of Grady Little, but considering the talent assembled on the field, Ned Colletti seems to be more the right man to be fired here.

More: Tony Jackson, Brian Kamenetzky (I'll remember how to spell that last name without looking one of these days!).

Update: The following paragraphs are worth excerpting from the Times story above:

"What's been the most disappointing to me is that so many people, when things are going good, they're fine," Little said. "But then the very minute things turn sour, the real person comes out. That's what disappointed me the most."

Wow, so what are we to believe the "real person" is? Bitter, spiteful, and vindictive?

McCourt stood behind Little and Colletti on the last day of the season, saying in a news conference that both would be back in 2008.

Asked why, McCourt pointed to what he called "core values" that he wanted to be the franchise's foundation -- he listed hard work, trust, integrity, respect, unselfishness and teamwork.

Knifing your current manager in the back because a more-recognizable name has come up doesn't seem like a good way to demonstrate trust, respect, or integrity at the very least. The ultimate problem with this typically MacBethian move is that Torre may not be a better manager. He's received a fair amount of criticism that his best managing was done with Don Zimmer whispering in his ear. But this is the McCourt-era Dodgers for you: quick to fire, overly impressed with brand names, and not too concerned with continuity. If I were Ned Colletti, I might be looking over my shoulder should 2008 come to a similarly sour conclusion and Brian Cashman (say) decides he wants out of the Yankee front office.

Update 2: The fact that Bill Plaschke endorses Torre's hiring even more cements me against the move.

The move makes sense.

But the machinations make me sick.

If the Dodgers have an opportunity to hire future Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre, as several sources indicated Monday, they must do it.

But why couldn't they have done it 13 days ago when Torre initially walked away from the New York Yankees?

Why did they allow nearly two weeks of silence to twist a knife so deep into the credibility of Grady Little that there is probably no way he can ever manage this team again anyway?

Well, how else were they going to handle it? The problem is that if you take the magpie approach to running an enterprise, every new shiny bauble will become this moment's most highly sought-after prize, only to be discarded when a new bead gets within view. It's not the two weeks of silence, it's that they did it at all.

Update 3: From the usually level-headed Ken Gurnick:

The hiring of the 67-year-old Torre would give the Dodgers a public-relations victory after a disappointing fourth-place finish in 2007. Torre, who rejected a one-year, $5 million offer plus incentives from the Yankees two weeks ago, reportedly would accept a three-year deal for less than $15 million from the Dodgers. Torre is rumored to be eager to return to managing and prove he doesn't need the richest payroll in baseball to win.

How does this give the Dodgers a "public relations victory", except by showing they're willing to garrote somebody (again) every time the team disappoints?

Interesting comments from Torre himself on these rumors-treated-as-fact:

"Well, the Dodgers have a contract, I mean, a manager," Torre replied during his "Late Show with David Letterman." appearance. "The Angels have a very good manager."

Torre went on to say: "That's a bad question to ask. I know what's been rumored. The local paper today is talking about going to LA. There has been a time or two that something that has been in the newspaper hasn't been true."

In Torre's book, Grady Little isn't a good manager? Sometimes, you say things that are quite impolitic, and speaking ill of anyone else in baseball (even if by omission) is considered bad form (though I don't think that's Torre's intent here).

Update 4: Tony Jackson says "baseball operations has a major hand in it and appears to even be driving" the change, i.e. this is Ned Colletti's doing.

Update 5: Tony Jackson now says the Dodgers are calling a 4 PM press conference to announce Little's firing. Torre's hiring has yet to be confirmed by anyone other than the News-Journal and New York Times stories linked above.

Update 6: (and how long will it be until this gets to double digits?) Tim Brown at Yahoo Sports says Little has resigned. How could he not?

Update 7: Breaking a rule I usually follow by updating the timestamp on this post... the Times is now reporting that the Dodgers are entering final negotiations over payroll for Torre's coaching staff, and how much input he will have over roster decisions.

Update 8: Just got done listening to the tail end of the Little press conference. It sounds very much like the Dodgers aren't done dealing with Torre, and want to keep Little around as an insurance policy in case this turns into a big pratfall and they're forced to find another manager. Perhaps a replay of the situation up in Oakland in the 2005/2006 offseason, when Ken Macha was fired had his contract lapse and was then re-hired after Billy Beane couldn't find a suitable replacement, and Macha couldn't find another job.

Update 9: dodgers.com press release.

Although there are indications the Dodgers want Torre, under Major League guidelines the club is mandated to conduct a search that includes interviews with minority candidates.

Ex-Yankee skippers are a minority of eligible candidates, right?

Update 10: Jon makes the same point I've been making, albeit in a slightly different way: "Dodgers Let Little Go Because Yankees Failed in Postseason".

Peter Abraham of the Journal-News says Torre and the Dodgers have agreed to a 3-year, ~$15M deal.

Update 11: Tony Jackson says the Joe Torre story is "not done yet, but should be soon", with yet another round of denials from the Dodgers that a deal is completed.

Labels: coaches, dodgers, front office, managers, yankees