Here are some notes from tonight’s postgame meeting with Dodgers’ manager Joe Torre.
On tonight’s game perhaps being a microcosm of the Dodger season to date:
Where we are right now, we’ve pretty much earned this. We just haven’t played well enough to warrant being in the penant race.
On reliever Jonathan Broxton’s confidence:
It has to be low. He appears unsure of himself. He will be fine, he will get through this, and he’ll get back to being the dominant closer he was earlier this year. You talk about human beings playing this game, that’s what happens.
This is something he’s got to fight his way through. When it comes time to let the ball go, it’s that not necessarily knowing where it’s going. He’s just trying to overthrow it a lot of times.
It’s not like being a starting pitcher or everyday player. He’s got to wait for the time, and he’s not sure when that is, so I think that sort of compounds the problem on when to relax and when to gear up. It’s not easy when you don’t get the ball on a regular basis to get in a rhythm. He’s got a situation now where he has to earn his way back, just for his own good, but it will happen. It’s something to really learn from.
On grooming his successor as manager, Don Mattingly:
He has been hands on here. I confer with him often. This is not going to be anything different. Knowing at some point that it would be his job, at least I was hoping it would be, I have been doing this for a couple of years.
On Mattingly’s lack of managerial experience:
People really to experience being probably safer. I have no hesitation about Donnie’s ability, because I’ve been around him. Having never managed in the minor leagues myself, it’s just something I feel good about.