LOS ANGELES — Three seasons in the sun with the Dodgers rekindled Joe Torre’s love for baseball.
They also provided the former Yankees manager with the chance to leave the bench on his own terms — and that’s exactly what he’ll do next month.
Torre said Friday he will retire at the end of the season, although the 70-year-old skipper couldn’t say with certainty he will never manage again. The Dodgers immediately announced hitting coach Don Mattingly will replace him in 2011.
“Baseball has been my life, and hopefully will continue to be my life in some capacity,” Torre said. “When I came out here, it was just to find out if managing can be fun again, and it’s been fun. . . . But you have to make some decisions by instinct, and my instinct tells me it’s time to go.”
Torre became one of the most famous and respected coaches in American sports during 12 winning seasons that included four championships with the Yankees, but he walked away from the club following the 2007 season, New York’s fourth straight without a World Series appearance. The Yankees made a lowball contract offer that insulted Torre with its bonuses for advancing in the postseason, effectively forcing Torre to depart with his pride.
He left New York feeling frustration and burnout — but a call from the Dodgers persuaded him to return to the NL, where he spent most of his playing career. Although he never matched his Bronx success in Hollywood, Torre still revitalized the Dodgers while reaching the NL Championship Series twice.
Torre, who has been rumored to be interested in returning to the broadcast booth — or even in owning a team — has a 2,318-1,990 regular-season managerial record in 29 seasons.
“Am I going to miss it? Sure, I’m going to miss it,” Torre said. “I just felt this ballclub needed a different voice, a younger voice, and there’s nobody I feel more secure about turning it over to than Donnie.”
