After the Yankees’ season ended last night, Don Mattingly offered Joe Torre kudos.
“I told him congratulations,” Mattingly said. “He did a great job.”
Following the Yankees’ almost stunning 6-4 loss to the Indians in Game 4 of the AL Division Series at Yankee Stadium, Torre is unlikely to return for next year. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was quoted in a story in the Bergen Record on Sunday saying as much.
“I don’t think we’d take him back if we don’t win this series,” Steinbrenner said of Torre in the report.
But Mattingly, Torre’s bench coach and possible successor, praised the longtime manager for his work this season.
“I think Joe did a tremendous job,” Mattingly said. “Joe should be here as long as he wants to be.”
Mattingly has been on Torre’s staff for four seasons, acting as hitting coach from 2004-06 and being promoted to bench coach this past season. The former Yankees star said he picked up several lessons from Torre.
“I learned a lot from Joe. Just the way he handles himself, the way he treats the players,” Mattingly said. “It just comes easy to him.”
The uncertainty over Torre’s future with the Yankees puts the 46-year-old Mattingly in a difficult position.
“Obviously it’s not a great spot for me,” Mattingly said, though he was reluctant to speak about the possible chance to manage the Yankees.
“It’s not something to talk about right now,” he said.
In addition to his work on Torre’s staff the last four seasons, Mattingly also has been a special instructor in spring training, work he did beginning in 1997 and continuing through 2003. The former Yankees captain also played for the team for 14 seasons.