Has Joe Torre finally made up his mind? He’s reportedly in talks to become an MLB VP -- if he doesn’t buy Dodgers
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Would absolutely love to report that ex-Dodgers manager Joe Torre has decided what he wants to do next, but it appears it’s more like he’s decided what he doesn’t want to do.
As reported by the New York Daily News, however, Torre is in discussions with Commissioner Bud Selig to become Major League Baseball’s executive vice president of operations.
This would be the job vacated by Sandy Alderson when he became general manager of the Mets.
The Daily News said Torre has been offered a position as Ned Colletti’s special assistant -- the Dodgers’ general manager already has six of those, plus three assistant GMs -- but is not expected to accept it. Plus, it is believed he turned down an offer from ESPN to join its baseball coverage.
The most interesting part of the report was buried in the last paragraph -- that Torre had reportedly made overtures to Selig last summer about putting an ownership group together to purchase the Dodgers should Frank McCourt be forced to sell.
Ain’t that interesting? Another Dodger -- remember Steve Garvey? -- in McCourt’s employ, interested in the having the whole show.
Gives me added inspiration. Think I’ll forget about buying the Dodgers and put together a group to buy the Los Angeles Times. OK, the Tribune Co. Telling ya, the idea remains in vogue.
As for Torre, 70, the report suggests that since McCourt could be locked up in a legal battle for an untold period, Torre might still be interested in joining the Dodgers in a higher position. You know, just as long as they don’t mind his wanting to buy the team.
The MLB executive position would leave Torre responsible for hiring Bob Watson’s replacement. Watson resigned due to health issues in December as VP of rules and on-field operations -- the office that issues punishment for violations, fights and other disputes, and one with which Torre sometimes found himself at odds.
The Daily News said Torre would prefer to work out of Los Angeles, where his daughter, Andrea, is in high school.
The newspaper said it had not talked to Torre or his agent, and that Selig was believed to be discussing the position with other candidates, so nothing is definite.
Still, it’s intriguing, which, if nothing else, is the Dodger way.
-- Steve Dilbeck