Joe Torre on Mark Loretta: ‘He used to beat my brains out’

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Dodgers Manager Joe Torre recalled how much trouble Mark Loretta, his new utility infielder, gave him in 2006. That year, Loretta had an All-Star season while with Boston.

“He used to beat my brains out when he was with the Red Sox,” Torre said. “Every time you think you had him out with two strikes, he’d get a base hit to right field.”

Loretta -- and here is another view of his fielding ability that season -- hit .289 with five home runs and 59 runs batted in that season, which was his last as a full-time second baseman.

The signing marks a homecoming for the 37-year-old Loretta, a graduate of St. Francis High in La Canada.

-- Dylan Hernandez

Pop-up photo: Mark Loretta jumps over a sliding Curtis Granderson of the Tigers to complete a double play. Credit: Paul Sancya / Associated Press