Mattingly and Torre Looking Forward to Series vs. Yanks

From Ed Price (hat-tip to Was Watching):

For Torre and Dodgers hitting coach Don Mattingly — whose pinstriped No. 23 was retired in 1997 — the series will be “busy,” as Torre put it, but not wistful or vengeful.

“It’s like playing,” Mattingly told FanHouse last Sunday in Boston in looking forward to this weekend. “You always turn the page.”

Mattingly said when he first saw the Dodgers’ June schedule, he thought, “This doesn’t look real good.”

Not because he’d have to go against the Yankees for the first time in his life, but because the Dodgers would be tested by playing the Cardinals, the Angels twice, the Red Sox and the Yankees in a span of six series.

Share “You’re caught in your own thing, you know?” Mattingly said.

“It’ll be different, I’m sure. But in a sense I’m looking forward to it, getting to see those guys.”

Said Torre: “It’s obviously going to be busy, but it’s also going to be fun seeing a lot of people.”

...

"I know L.A. is looking forward to it," Torre said. "They've had billboards up all year: 'Renew the rivalry.' I can't escape it.

"It's going to be unique."

...

"I've never pulled against these guys," Torre said. "It's going to be the first time."

Price also mentions in the article that Mattingly will be the first Yankees who has had his number retired to take the field against them in a game that counts. However, thanks to a commenter over on WasWatching, I believe that Joe DiMaggio--who had his number retired in 1952--was actually the first when he was a coach for the A's back in the late-60's, so Mattingly will be the second.

Anyway, even if he won't admit it, you know Torre wants to beat his old team more than anything. I'm sure Mattingly feels the same way since he was passed over for the manager's job by Girardi.

This should be a fun series and I've been looking forward to it since the schedule was released. My only complaint is that it's not in New York. Maybe next year.