Don Mattingly in HORRORwood

These are my brief thoughts concerning Don Mattingly, the L.A. Dodgers and the on-going McCourts Divorce Drama. 

Comments I made on DodgerBobble and on Prince of NY's Baseball Blog are where this thought started.

**L.A. cbslocal.com

Even if a court makes the McCourts sell the team, that is still a ways away.  Don Mattingly will be the manager of an imploding infrastructure and look all the worse for it.  Donnie Baseball is going to wind up as collateral damage out there and I wish he wouldn't take the manager's job because of it.  He'll be a scapegoat for everything that WILL go wrong out there.  Besides that, he's just not ready.  Tim Wallach would have been a much better choice for L.A.  They hired Tim as a coach for next year.  One, Mattingly is already being shown he won't be bringing in his own staff. And two, this ensures Mattingly will officially have to look over his shoulder while trying to do his job.  Donnie, please, ~ get out of there while you still have your reputation because the McCourts will ruin that too, as they've done everything else Dodger Blue; former power player of Baseball.

Mike.BTB

..on Joe Torre, Mets and the Managerial Scene

The following is a comment I made to a post today regarding Joe Torre on The Prince of NY's Sunday Lightning post. 

I agree, Torre will be managing next year. I don't think there's any doubt the McCourts and the unpredictable future of the Dodgers made Torre want to bail-out. He's been complaining all year actually, for anyone who wanted to listen. It wouldn't be like Torre would be going back to work for the Buschs' again so in a way Torre and a St. Lou reunion could be a clean slate for them both. I'm just not so sure St. Lou is ready to jettison LaRussa yet, unless he himself wants out. St. Lou, if they're anything, they're stable. And stable franchises excel at negotiating through squabbles, differences, times of drama and straining opinions. Stable clubs understand human nature and understand everyone doesn't agree all the time in long term relationships. That's my only case for LaRussa staying put.

Torre back to the Mets? He would have been perfect for the 2006 team. I feel this Met team with the direction they should be going in, is not the right place for Torre to be. I'd be silly to criticize Torre but I do not feel The Mets and Torre are a match today

I am at odds with the name Tim Teufel, but he's probably the right guy for the job. He's not my first choice but I have to be honest with the situation and think he's probably the right choice.

Where does Torre land? Chicago Cubs seem logical as you pointed out. How do you feel about Nolan Ryan seeing a chance to upgrade, bouncing Washington for Torre? Marlins? Are they really out of the question? It wouldn't surprise me at all.

Joe Torre seems to be topic of the day since he declared he would not return next year as manager of the Dodgers.  In his place the Dodgers have already appointed Don Mattingly as Joe's successor.

Mattingly, quickly, is just not ready.  With zero managerial experience to speak of, is this a prudent move by the Dodgers Front Office?  Even here in NY when there was speculation Donnie Baseball could take over for Torre and again when there were two clear managerial candidates heading into 2008, the fans sided with Joe Girardi and never warmed up to the idea of Mattingly as manager regardless.

Quietly, the Cubs lurk in the shadows possessing a distinct possibility they could have a choice between Joe Girardi and or Joe Torre being their next manager.

Where ever Joe Torre winds up or whatever he decides to do, I wish him well.  Just don't come to Flushing. 

Hey!  He's from Brooklyn!  He can take it.


Mike.BTB