Joe Torre: I’ll let Dodgers know by September if I want to manage again next year

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All those with their panties in a bunch because they just can’t stand the thought of not knowing whether Joe Torre (pictured at right) will manage the Dodgers next season, we have a minor update:

He’ll let you know before the season is over.

Torre said he doesn’t want to send the Dodgers into their off-season uncertain over whether he will return, so he likely will make a decision sometime in September.

‘I have to, it’s not fair to them if I don’t do that,’ Torre said.

There’s plenty of speculation that Torre won’t be interested in returning to an organization that isn’t willing to take on the additional salary necessary to obtain an obvious missing ingredient (read: starting pitching). With owners Frank and Jamie McCourt going through an ugly divorce, and Torre turning 70 next month, this could easily prove to be his last season leading the Dodgers.

Management approached Torre in spring training about an extension, but Torre told them then he wanted to wait. Apparently, just not too long.

‘I don’t want them to think that if I’m coming back and I decide not to, then they’re sort of caught without a plan,’’ he said.

Not that any of that would be a new experience for the Dodgers.

General Manager Ned Colletti and Frank McCourt initially said Grady Little would return to manage the Dodgers in 2008. But not sensing a lack of front office support in the final year of his contract, Little turned in what he called a ‘mutual resignation’ on Oct. 31, 2008.

Colletti, who initially had conversations with current Yankees Manager Joe Girardi about replacing Little, then hired Torre.

This time, however, Torre wants to avoid any front office intrigue.

‘They can do whatever they want, but I’m not going to do that to them,’ he said.

--Steve Dilbeck

Photo credit: Jerry Lai / US Presswire