Following a disappointing 2007 campaign and the resignation of manager Grady Little, Dodgers’ General Manager Ned Colletti hired former Yankee skipper Joe Torre. Torre, who had won four World Series and six American League pennants during his 12-year tenure in The Bronx, had gotten into a contract dispute with notoriously erratic owner George Steinbrenner which ultimately left with him leaving the team.
Colletti and the Dodgers were hoping Torre could bring his winning ways and league-renowned leadership from his historic New York run to LA, but the team never quite put it all together during his tenure. The 2008 and 2009 seasons both ended in 5-game defeats at the hands of the Phillies in the NLCS.