Joe Torre will step down as Los Angeles Dodgers manager at the end of the season with former Yankee Don Mattingly taking over the role for next year’s campaign, the team said on Friday.
The 70-year-old Torre took over the Dodgers in 2008 after 12 years with the New York Yankees and brought former American League MVP Mattingly with him as hitting coach.
Torre took the Dodgers to the National League Championship Series in the past two seasons, but they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies both times.
Los Angeles has disappointed this year and is second-to-last in the NL West with a 72-75 record.
“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 a statement. “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.”
Mattingly, in his seventh season as a Major League coach, spent 14 seasons as a first baseman for New York, where he compiled a .307 lifetime batting average with 222 home runs and 1,099 RBIs while earning AL MVP honors in 1985. He won nine Gold Glove Awards and made six All-Star game appearances.
Nicknamed “Donnie Baseball” becomes the Los Angeles Dodgers’ ninth all-time manager and will manage in the Arizona Fall League after the regular season.
TAIWANESE PLAYERS
Kuo Hong-chih (郭泓志), a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, responded to the news that Torre is retiring by saying that he only is where he is today because Torre helped him build his self-confidence.
Kuo, who joined the Dodgers in 2008, said Torre was a great coach and that he was very helpful after Kuo injured his elbow. He said that although he has been in good shape this whole season, Torre would not let him pitch on two consecutive days until last month just to let Kuo save his elbow.
Torre met with the team yesterday to tell them in person that he was retiring, Kuo said, adding that he expressed gratitude to Torre.
Dodger infielder Hu Chin-lung (胡金龍) said that although he has not had much contact with Torre, he thought he was an intelligent coach. Hu also said that when he hit his first major league home run on Friday, Torre came over specifically to give him a high five, which made him very happy.
When asked if they were prepared to participate in the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou in November, they both said they hadn’t given it much thought since the season was not over yet, adding that it would depend on how the season ended. Hu, however, has already expressed the hope that, health allowing, he would be able to play.
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