Friday, September 17, 2010

Torre To Step Down After Season, Will Be Replaced By Donnie Baseball

From ESPN:
Joe Torre is stepping down after three years as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers at season's end, the Dodgers announced Friday, with hitting coach Don Mattingly replacing him.

"The opportunity to manage the Los Angeles Dodgers is truly an honor," Mattingly said in a news release. "There are few organizations in the world with the history, tradition and track record of success as the Dodgers. I'm looking forward to continuing what I came here to accomplish with Joe and that's to win a world championship."

It wasn't immediately clear whether Torre would remain with the organization in another capacity, something he has expressed a desire to do after his retirement.

"It has been an incredible honor to wear the Dodger uniform and I will always carry with me some very special memories from the past three seasons," Torre said in the release. "This was not a decision I took lightly but I believe it's the right one for myself and my family and I'm truly thrilled that Donnie will be the one leading the Dodgers. It's time that the Dodgers had a new voice and I have the utmost confidence in him. I know he's ready for the challenge."

Mattingly has never managed at any level, but he is slated to in the Arizona Fall League after the season, an assignment that is far different from managing a major league club during the regular season because it is a league that exists primarily for showcasing prospects from a handful of different organizations.

"Over the past three years, I've had the opportunity to work with Don closely and have gotten to know him both personally and professionally and I'm convinced that he's the right person to lead the Dodgers," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said in the statement. "His work ethic is unparalleled, his baseball knowledge is vast and his leadership skills have been established during more than three decades in professional baseball."

Good luck to both former Yankees.

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