Monday's Bunts and Boots--Manager Movements

As much as I thought it was time for Joe Torre to move on from managing the Yankees, I think he’s a perfect fit for the Dodgers. With their fractured clubhouse, caused in large part by some ridiculous stances taken by some of the veteran players against the club’s rookies, Torre will be able to rely on his ample people skills and his sure-handed methods to improve team chemistry. Unlike Grady Little, who couldn’t make up his mind whether to play rookies or veterans at certain positions, Torre will come up with a set lineup that will at least provide some stability to the equation. As a future Hall of Famer, Torre won’t find himself second-guessed by his veterans or his youngsters; they’ll live with his decisions and try to make the best of them, knowing that Torre has the full backing of the front office. The key for Torre will be avoiding the temptation to choose only veterans, rather than awarding positions to the most deserving candidates…
The Pirates also did well in hiring John Russell as Jim Tracy’s successor. Let’s face it, the Pirates were never going to draw a headline manager like Joe Girardi, Joe Torre, or even Bobby Valentine. One of their top choices, John Farrell, decided to stay put in Boston as pitching coaches. Of the managers that would have actual interest in taking the job, Russell seems like a solid choice as any, with the possible exception of Tony Pena. As the manager of the Phillies’ top farm team, the Ottawa Lynx, Russell won the International League Manager of the Year award in 2006. Last winter, he impressed the Rangers and Nationals when he interviewed, barely missing out on those jobs to Ron Washington and Manny Acta, respectively. Russell also has some familiarity with at least some of the Pirates’ players, having worked as the team’s third base coach two years ago. As a veteran of managing in the minor leagues (ten years, to be exact), and with a reputation for developing young talent, he might be a particularly good fit for a Pirates team that will have more than its share of youthful players. As Barbara Hershey said in Hoosiers, “Give him a chance.”…

It hasn’t received a lot of play, but I think that one of the reasons the Yankees picked up Bobby Abreu’s option had to do with the uncertainty hanging over potential free agent Kosuke Fukudome. The Yankees like Fukudome a lot, believing that he will make as smooth a transition to the states as Hideki Matsui, but the Japanese star hasn’t yet announced his official decision to become a free agent. The Yankees feared that Fukudome, a potential replacement for Abreu in right field, might hold off, and that was a risk they did not want to take. Then there’s the potential problem of having to outbid a half-dozen teams, including active bidders like the Cubs and Giants.