A Tale of Two Teams

For the first time since 2004, the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers will square off this weekend in Los Angeles.

But oh lord, how things have changed since 2004.

For the first time since 2007, the Yankees will be on the same field as Joe Torre. Although this time, Torre will not be managing the Yankees and trying to help them win. He'll be on enemy lines, trying to defeat them with the Dodgers.

Torre took over as manager of the Yankees in 1996, a move that many people questioned, due to Torre's lack of success as manager of the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and St. Louis Cardinals. Torre however, shut the critics up. He led the Yankees to a world title in 1996, their first in almost 20 years. Then, he led the Yankees on the improbable run of three straight titles ranging from 1998-2000, as well as World Series appearances in 2001 and 2003, which both ended in losses. In his 12-year career with the Yankees, Torre was 1173–767, while winning four World Series Championships. It was a shame though, that it had to end so abruptly.

October 2006 -
After being eliminated from the first round of the playoffs for the second year in a row in 2006 by the Detroit Tigers, Joe Torre's job was in jeoperdy. His decision to bat Alex Rodriguez, the team's best player, eighth in the batting order due to a postseason slump, became an outrage. Rumors spread that Torre was going to fired and replaced by former Yankee Lou Pinella. The rumors were eventually put to rest by Yankees' General Manager Brian Cashman, as he stated that Torre was not going to be fired. Many were aware that principal owner George Steinbrenner was losing his patience with Torre, especially since it had been six years since a World Series title.

October 2007 -
The 2007 season was not much kinder to Torre. The Yankees finished the season 94-68, two games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. The Yankees failed to win the AL East division, ending a streak of nine consecutive division titles since 1998. However, they still managed to reach the postseason by outlasting the Seattle Mariners to win the Wild Card. Sadly, the postseason would be short lived for the Yankees, as they lost in the ALDS to the Cleveland Indians in four games. Alex Rodriguez, who slugged 54 HR that season while earning AL MVP honors, only hit .267 in the series with 1 HR. Many blame Torre for the series loss, especially in Game 2. With Joba Chamberlain on the mound, and the Yankees leading 1-0 in the eighth inning, a swarm of midges swarmed Chamberlain and the rest of the Yankee team on the field. The midges distracted Chamberlain, as he allowed Cleveland to tie the game and eventually win it in extra innings despite a strong showing by Andy Pettitte. Many criticize Torre for not pulling the team off of the field, and waiting for the midges to leave. The series loss would lead to the end of an era in New York Yankees history, as the Yankees dismissed Torre as manager.

Torre wouldn't be unemployed for long. On November 1, 2007 the Los Angeles Dodgers announced that they had reached an agreement of $13 million over three years, for Joe Torre to be Manager for the 2008-2010 seasons. It would be the first time in twelve years that Torre would manage another team, and his first time managing on the west coast. There would be no more "Subway" ads with former Mets' manager Willie Randolph, no more advertising for Bigelow Tea, and no more Yankee swagger for Torre.

The Yankees would later sign former player and coach Joe Girardi to a three-year contract to be the next Yankees Manager. In 2008, Girardi's first year as manager of the Yankees, the Yankees finished in third place, and missed the playoffs for the first time in thirteen years. Fans called for Girardi's head, and regretted losing Torre. It wouldn't last for long however, as Girardi and the Yankees would win the World Series a year later in 2009.

In 2008, his first year as Dodgers manager, Torre led the Dodgers to the NL West division title. However, the Dodgers were eliminated in the ALCS in four games to the Philadelphia Phillies. In 2009, Torre led the Dodgers to a second consecutive divison title, but were again eliminated by the Phillies in the ALCS, this time in five games. Meanwhile, his old team, the Yankees, led by Girardi, would win 103 games that season, en route to their 27th World Championship.

Controversy struck prior to the 2009 season, when Torre released his tell-all book about his years with the Yankees titled "The Yankee Years." In his book, Torre criticised Steinbrenner, as well as 3B Alex Rodriguez. He went on to say that Rodriguez was looked at as a fraud in the Yankee clubhouse, and that his teammates did not respect him. He also went on to tell that Steinbrenner was often unfair, and acted somewhat as a tyrant. Torre also portrayed bad reputations on the Yankees' front office, including Cashman, who came to his aid in 2006 to defend Torre's job. Torre wrote that the Yankees had never given him a substantial offer to return as manager. After the release of his book, Torre appeared on talk shows to explain his decision to write the book and defended everything he wrote. The Yankees were offended by the way Torre portrayed the team.

Derek Jeter, whose first manager was Torre, will be facing against Torre for the first time in his career. Torre and Jeter always shared an almost father-son-like relationship during their years in New York together, and still keep in touch. Torre has often called Jeter his favorite player.

2010 has been a shaky season for Torre's Dodgers. The Dodgers stumbled out of the gate early, but have regained themselves and are currently 38-33, third place in the NL West. The Yankees stand at 45-27, first place in the AL East. While this is the first time in six years that the clubs will meet, they are all but unfamiliar with each other, dating back to the days of when the Dodgers still played in Brooklyn, New York. The two teams have played each other in the World Series eleven times: 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1963, 1977, 1978, and 1981, with the Yankees winning eight times and the Dodgers three. Before the Dodgers' move to Los Angeles, the two teams were perceived as two of the best clubs in New York baseball history.

The past is over, the present is now, and these two clubs are likely to both make the playoffs. While it'll be awkward to face Torre, the Yankees cannot let that alone distract them. The action kicks off tomorrow, as CC Sabathia faces Vincente Padilla in Game 1, as the action will take place from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Get ready baseball fans, one of baseball's most ancient rivalries is yet to be renewed.