The Joe Torre Era began in Los Angeles with a festive news conference in Dodger Stadium's capacious center field, reports the Los Angeles Times. The surefire Hall of Famer reported that longtime sidekicks Larry Bowa and Don Mattingly would also be joining his staff, Mattingly after losing out to Joe Girardi for the Yankees' managerial candidacy.
Mattingly's son, Preston, is a prospect in the Los Angeles farm system. Torre also said he believed the Dodgers' veteran second baseman and former MVP Jeff Kent would forego retirement at least one year. Confessed the nostalgic manager of his Brooklyn childhood: "I was a Giants fan. I want to apologize for that now." (More MLB stories.)