It's official: Dodgers hire Torre

MLB.com ^ | November 1, 2007 | Ken Gurnick

[EveningStar]

The Dodgers made it official on Thursday, hiring future Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre to replace Grady Little, who resigned on Tuesday...

[Michael.SF.]

Maybe now more people will now watch Dodger games.

You are referring to what, TV? The Dodgers drew 3.8 million last year, second only to the Yankees. They annually draw over three million a season, one of the best attendance records in baseball.

[JimSEA]

The irony of a Yankee wearing Dodger Blue continues to cause me gastric distress. Of course, you have to be 60+ years old to truly feel the pain. It’s not that I dislike Joe in the least, it’s just that I remember the 40’s and 50’s too well (we won’t talk about the 60’s or Chavez Ravine in mixed company).

[BenLurkin]

Good news for Dodger fans.

[truth_seeker]

“MY dad tell me he feel old he remember when LA Dodgers were playing at LA Coliseum LOL!”

I remember, and I don’t feel old.

There was a screen for a left field fence, and left handed batting 1st baseman Wally Moon hit homers to left.

Called them Moonshots!! True story. Ask your dad.

[papasmurf]

I must be old, too. LOL We lived in the Echo park district when they tore up Chavez Ravine to build Dodger Stadium. Mom would take us over three or four times a week, and we’d sit on the, then, hillside and eat and watch and make baseball/Dodger calls to hear our voices echo out...heyyyyyy batta,batta,batta,battAAAAA,! Swiiiiing batta,batta,batta. Big D! Big D! Big D!

HaHa. We had many great memories there.

“Once a bum, always a Dodger!”

[Cap'n Crunch]

And now if only the Dodgers could draft me to play 3rd base...

[EveningStar]

I remember the Moon Shots. :)

[Mr_Moonlight]

The irony of a Yankee wearing Dodger Blue ...

There is nothing ironic about it at all, as Torre was never "A Yankee" in any capacity other than his most recent manager stint. Before that, his playing and managing career was with the Braves, Cardinals, and Mets .. and now the Dodgers.

What is interesting is that another great Yankee manager from the past had a similar non-pedigreed stint with the Yankees, and that when Torre was hired in 1996, comparisons of the two men were rife all over the place.

His name? Casey Stengel

Stengel is the only person to have worn the uniform (as player or manager) of all four Major League Baseball teams that played in New York City in the 20th century (while each team was in New York City): The New York Giants (as a player), the Brooklyn Dodgers (as both a player and a manager), the New York Yankees (as a manager), and the New York Mets (also as a manager).

Also curious is that the Mets were created in order to "bring National League baseball back to NY" after the Dodgers (and Giants) left town ... borrowing elements from both teams uniforms for their own Mets uniform. So, Stengel was "retired" (forced) by the Yankees and then went on to manage the Mets, while Torre "resigned" (almost forced) by the Yankees and is going on to manage the Dodgers.

The similarities are, well, quite similar :)

[Gay State Conservative]

Geeze...who knows! Maybe the Sox can sweep the Dodgers next year as a way of sayin’ “nice to see ya,Joe”!

[al baby]

Well its hammer time

[al baby]

Hi sweetie

[onedoug]

On to the World Series!

[SevenofNine]

Yeah maybe we get team next team Al Baby so how your lady up in Frisco is she okay after the quake

[rhombus]

Wow - interesting statistics. I had no idea. Thanks. Hopefully fans will have something to cheer about soon. It’s been a while for Dodger fans.

[Disciplinemisanthropy]

who signed the hammer?

[al baby]

Joe torre we be tight