Grady Little is done as the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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| Grady Little's inability to control his clubhouse leads to his downfall. (Getty Images) |
Little has resigned, the Dodgers said late Tuesday in an announcement that, to everyone who had half a clue, surely elicited a reaction of, "Oh, really?" followed by a very large yawn.
As soon as word leaked that the Dodgers are talking with Joe Torre, there became absolutely, positively no way Little could return.
His authority had been pulled out from under him. His leadership had been compromised. His dignity had been bruised.
On a conference call Tuesday, Little said it was his decision, he had been thinking about it for quite some time, and that it absolutely wasn't related to the rumors that the Dodgers had been speaking with Torre and Joe Girardi.
Of course, his timing was impeccable, no?
Funny how it all happened about the time the Dodgers were glued to Torre on the Late Show with David Letterman Monday.
Little is a good man who deserves better than to wind up as a byproduct in another ham-handed Frank McCourt Production.
But sometimes there is no dodging circumstance, even if you are manager of the Dodgers. The often ugly bottom line in a production-based business is that it's all about the results, and if you're the Dodgers and Torre becomes available, you have a responsibility to check your options.
And the Dodgers most definitely are. According to one major league official with whom I spoke on Tuesday, the Dodgers and Torre are deep into talks that could produce a new Los Angeles manager by week's end.
Regarding the question of whether Torre wants to step right back into managing so soon after his Yankees tenure ended, the official said, "There certainly is significant interest on the sides of both parties."
Something like this certainly isn't unprecedented. In 1979, the Detroit Tigers were faced with a similar decision with a man whose situation was remarkably similar to that of Little's.
