Introduced Monday as the new manager and face of the Dodgers, Joe Torre revealed that Don Mattingly and Larry Bowa would be on his coaching staff, and that he was "pretty upbeat and pretty positive" that second baseman Jeff Kent wanted to play another season.
Torre spoke of building a "strong foundation" and told several stories that drew laughs at a morning news conference, which was televised live by local stations and was held in center field at Dodger Stadium to accommodate a large press corps.
"Wow," Torre said upon stepping to the microphone. "This has been wild here. The last two weeks have been a whirlwind."
Torre, 67, parted ways with the New York Yankees on Oct. 18, when he turned down an incentive-laden one-year contract with a base salary of $5 million. Torre said he met with Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti in Las Vegas on Oct. 27 and flew to Los Angeles to dine at the house of team owners Frank and Jamie McCourt the next day.
Grady Little resigned as the Dodgers' manager Oct. 30 and two days later Torre signed a three-year, $13-million contract to replace him.
Jamie McCourt said the Dodgers initially inquired about Torre's interest in the position through a link she had with Torre's agent, Maury Gostfrand: her mother and Gostfrand's mother are friends.
Exactly when the Dodgers started moving to replace Little remained a mystery. Frank McCourt said the team asked about Torre after learning he wouldn't be returning to the Yankees for a 13th season. And Colletti said Monday that he had discussed the "parameters" of a contract with another potential candidate, Joe Girardi, who was later named Torre's replacement in New York.
Monday, Torre was handed a Dodgers cap by McCourt and a No. 6 jersey by Colletti. Torre wore the same number while leading the Yankees to 12 consecutive playoff appearances and four World Series titles.
"Today, we introduce a man who is a winner and a leader and no doubt a future Hall of Famer," McCourt said.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, from where the Dodgers relocated 50 years ago, Torre called the day "surreal" and told of how his mother's favorite player was Gil Hodges.
But he admitted that he grew up a New York Giants fan.
"I apologize for that," he said.
Torre also admitted to knowing little about the Dodgers' roster. He said he would probably contact players in the coming months "to get a feel for the people" and "figure out the ability" in spring training.
