Little, Dodgers have parting of ways Skipper bows out with one year left on three-year contract By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers Manager Grady Little ended a month of intrigue Tuesday by resigning with a year left on his contract, paving the way for the hiring of former Yankees manager Joe Torre as his replacement. "I have a combination of a lot of reasons, and I'll leave it at that," said Little, disputing that he was forced to resign or that he was treated unjustly. "I've got my own, personal reasons. It's a mutual resignation. I know this is the best way to go. It's not an easy decision, as anyone might suggest, but it's final." The anticipated addition of Torre has already sparked speculation that free-agent third baseman Alex Rodriguez and bench coach Don Mattingly would follow him to Los Angeles. Scott Boras, Rodriguez's agent, told 710 AM ESPN Radio that Rodriguez and Torre had "a very solid relationship" in New York, and Rodriguez would have no problem playing for Torre again. Tuesday's announcement came in a conference call with Little and general manager Ned Colletti, who hired Little almost two years ago to replace Jim Tracy. Little managed the club to a 17-win improvement and a postseason berth in 2006, but the Dodgers followed in 2007 with a late-season collapse into fourth place and a clubhouse divided. He went 170-154 in two seasons. Little and Colletti insisted that Tuesday's decision was made by Little, and that he could have remained manager if he had so chosen. On the last day of the season, Colletti and owner Frank McCourt said that Little would return for 2008. "I wanted Grady Little back," said Colletti. "We discussed a lot of things, how he felt and how I felt, and we just felt it was best for everybody that this is where it ended up. I encouraged him a handful of times to think it through, that I wanted him back." On the last Saturday of the season, when asked if he was thinking about resigning, Little said he would return in 2008 and "see this thing through to the end." But having taken an inordinate share of the blame for a season gone bad in many ways, Little privately voiced to Colletti that he had doubts whether he wanted to manage as a lame duck, lacking solid support from the front office and being increasingly unpopular among fans. The doubts Little expressed prompted Colletti to contact possible replacements like Joe Girardi and Torre. "We have talked to other people a little bit to gauge their level of interest, because in talking to Grady the last few weeks, I wasn't sure he was coming back," said Colletti. "It was incumbent upon me not to get caught with nothing at the end." Little said he was not offended, nor was his decision influenced, by Colletti's pursuit of replacements before he decided to resign. "I respect the job Ned has to do," Little said. "He's got to be ready for anything that happens." Little, 57, had previously managed the Boston Red Sox for two seasons and came to the Dodgers with a reputation for folksy charm and being a "player's manager." But the reputation took a hard hit when veteran Jeff Kent criticized the attitude and approach of the team's young players. Kent's comments were evidence of a growing clubhouse rift that developed as the organization's youth movement jeopardized the playing status of veterans. As the manager, Little received much of the blame for the turmoil and said he would handle things differently next year. He called the just-completed season "the toughest of my life."
Now the Dodgers will have the highest paid manager in baseball. Three years= $14,000,000. Congratulations! 8)
Do I detect a note of sarcasm in the above comment? The reported amount is less per year than the Yankees offered, so he would have been the highest paid there also......for one year......if it had been all about the $.
No sarcasm. I'm delighted to have Joe Girardi as manager. Just pointing out the obvious. The local press is abuzz of rumors that Don Mattingly will soon be with the Dodgers as well. And possibly Mariano. And Pettitte. And maybe A-Rod too! Imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery :lol:
I would be shocked if those players you named follow Torre to the Dodgers. Although I like the guy, he's no pied piper, and he's not writing the checks. The Yankees have made a number of pitching moves that did not work out and which put tremendous pressure on their starting rotation last year. IMO one of the mainstays was a healthy Andy Pettite. I would think that they would work hard to keep him and Posada. Rivera, as great as he is, appears to be at or near the end of the road. I could see letting him go, although it would not be popular with the fans. But why would the Dodgers want him with the closer they have now? Re: Arod. That's a situation I'm not going to touch as far as speculating where he might wind up. I like Girardi. He'll do a good job for you. I project him as a great manager by the time his managing career winds down, which if he's successful will be many years from now. IMO it's case of the bumbling Yankees management getting the best candidate available in spite of themselves. The Yankees are a well-oiled machine driven by an unequaled tradition of excellence. You or I could run that organization. Wanna make a bid? :wink:
I would really love to have A-Rod at 3rd base for the Astros. I don't think he'll play for 15 million a year though, he does have a family to feed and girlfriends to support.
The word is that 8 years at $30 mil will get him. Now the Yankees were poised to offer that so you can only infer that he wanted out of the bright lights of Broadway. My hunch hw wants to go somewhere where the demands are less, the press more laid back and he can compile his stats in peace. For $30 mil per year.
8) One thought thats being kinda lost in the shuffle here is that the Dodgers really wanted Girardi. Torre, who is best known around here as the long-time Angels broadcaster, was the second choice. So the Crankees got a good one... I would be surprised if anyone makes another manager's offer to Grady Little. He had the best team in the National League on paper, then allowed it to implode from the inside out, as it totally collapsed into lockerroom shouting matches and open warfare between the older players and the younger players... The best bets among the coaches and players to follow Torre here would be Mattingly, who's son is a Dodger minor league player and high draft choice; and A-Rod whom Torre has allegedly requested...
!!! <r>Welcome to the NL Joe, I hope your stay is as pleasant as your last one! <E>:twisted:</E> <E>:twisted:</E> <E>:twisted:</E></r>