Let the good times roll.

Joe Torre finds redemption in LA and leads the Dodgers to the playoffs

by rick olivares

No doubt, Joe Torre isn't having a laugh at the expense of his former team. After being arguably the most successful manager in New York Yankees history after Casey Stengel, management let Torre walk after leading the Bronx Bombers to the postseason for 12 consecutive years. Sure the Yankees were no longer their dominating selves when they nearly won four straight titles (and five over-all during a dominating stretch from 1996-2001) and they sure needed a shot in the arm that Alex Rodriguez couldn't proivde.

Torre took with him coaches Larry Bowa and Don Mattingly westward where they replaced former Boston Red Sox Manager Grady Little as LA Dodger chiefs. Awaiting them there were a couple of former Yankees and Red Sox in Scott Proctor, Nomar Garciaparra, and Derek Lowe.

And guess, what... the good times just keep rolling.

Despite losing 1,800-plus man games to injuries to Garciaparra, Rafael Furcal, Jeff Kent, Brad Penny, and Takashi Saito to name a few, and finding Andruw Jones to be an expensive non-factor in the line-up, the Dodgers snuck past the Arizona Diamondbacks to win the National League West and knock down the Chicago Cubs in the first game of their divisional series. The Cubs feature former Yankees great Lou Piniella and Alfonso Soriano who has become a journeyman after a couple of great seasons on that old Stadium on River Street.

But for the Dodgers, they found their groove when they traded for Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake who provided much needed slugging, looseness, and leadership in the clubhouse.

Chasing Arizona, they won 18 of their last 23 matches and are poised for some Cinderella-like magic in this playoffs. And now they've dealt the sad sack Cubs their seventh straight playoff loss 7-2 at Wrigley thanks to a grand slam by James Loney and more great stuff from Manny Ramirez.

As for Torre. There's that familiar poker face on television despite a huge win that quieted Wrigley.

Let the good times roll.

For Noj Baltao who must be having fun in LA.