In 2007, the Dodgers were a mess. Their rotation had no depth, their offense was floundering, and the team won just 82 games, good for fourth place in the NL West.
Enter Joe Torre.
For the previous two seasons, the Dodgers had been led by Grady Little. Remember him, Red Sox fans? Little had been at the helm in Boston for two seasons before leaving in disgrace after the Sox botched Game 7 of the ALCS in 2003. In L.A., he fared little better.
When Torre entered the picture before the 2008 season, though, he turned everything around. He had a resume that included 12 consecutive trips to the postseason and four World Series rings with the Yankees. But at heart, he was still a National League guy. He played in the NL for nearly two decades, spending the 1960s and '70s as a catcher for the Braves, Cardinals and Mets. Then, in his first 18 years as a major league manager, he bounced around to each of those same three franchises. For 35 years, Torre was an NL guy.
After a storied run with the Yankees, Torre is now back in his element, letting the pitcher bat ninth the way the game's always been played. And if all goes well for him over the next couple of weeks, he could finally get a chance to represent the National League in the Fall Classic.
It's hard to believe that after nearly a half-century as a baseball man, Torre has never worn anything but a Yankees uniform in the World Series. Now, wearing Dodger blue, he has a chance to change that.
Torre has turned the Dodgers around. This year, they're a 95-win ballclub — the class of the National League. And they're now on the verge of baseball glory.
They've brought together a diverse collection of talent. Their rotation is a mix of two overlooked veterans (Randy Wolf, Hiroki Kuroda) and two rising young stars (Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley). Their bullpen is a collection of quality arms you've likely never heard of. And their offense is driven by three youngsters, each in his fourth season in the major leagues — Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and Russell Martin.
And then there's the straw that stirs the drink, Manny Ramirez.
It's a motley mix of guys, but Torre has made it work. After 12 years juggling the egos of the New York Yankees, Torre was ready for anything. He's dealt with injuries — and in Manny's case, suspensions. He's made do with players that many thought were too old — or too young — to be impact guys.
His club has a payroll $100 million (or in other words, 50 percent) less than he had grown accustomed to in New York, but he's won anyway. And baseball is better off when the Dodgers, one of the game's historic franchises, are thriving. Under Little, Jim Tracy and Davey Johnson, the Dodgers had sunk into mediocrity — but with Torre in command, the Dodgers are again the real deal.
On Thursday night, the Dodgers take the field against Philadelphia for Game 1 of the NLCS. The Phillies are the defending champs, and they're stacked with one of the game's best starting rotations. But the Dodgers have the ultimate form of experience on their side — in Torre, they have a man who's been here many times before.
Two years ago, the Dodgers were a .500 team. Now, they're four wins away from the World Series. They have a manager who knows how to get there.
