The Great Torre...?

After four World Series titles it is hard to argue with anything Joe Torre does and for the future Hall of Famer he almost always knows what strings to pull... almost. There is no doubt about the calming influence he has on a club house, watching him pull together a divided clubhouse in the LA Dodgers and deal with all injuries including one big outfield signing that never showed up this year. But asking him to handle a bullpen, you had better bring a firetruck to put out the fire.

At the end of last year the Dodgers were a mess and certainly anybody hired to take over the job was going have their hands full with a divide between the veterans and the younger corps of players. All year it has been a give and take with Torre, he will give you hope in getting the most out of the players and then take the joy away with his calls during the game that will leave you pulling out your hair. Torre gives you players pitching with all the confidence in the world to take on any one and batters learning swing the bats; but then have them taking pitches on green light counts and yanking pitchers too early leaving himself trying to mix and match the roster for the rest of the game. Often just giving games away. The Dodger manager is the ultimate players coach and the most compulsive over thinking manager in the game today.

Some would say to Dodger fans you should just be happy to be there if not for Torre and one Manny Ramirez the team would not be there. But I also say once we get to the playoffs we should not waist this opportunity. We all know he will have his players loose and well motivated to take the series back to Philadelphia it is just a matter of whether or not will he shoot his team in the foot with another lesson in mismanagement. Let's go Bums!