Dodgers say they’re sad to see Joe Torre go

There was sadness and resignation in the Dodgers’ clubhouse after the team said Joe Torre chose not to extend his contract and return as manager next season.

“You can’t help but feel a little sad,” third baseman Casey Blake said. “I don’t know what Joe’s plans are past this year. But it’s tough to see an obvious Hall of Fame managing career come to an end.”

Still, the players said they looked forward to having batting coach Don Mattingly as their skipper in 2011.

“I’m excited to keep playing for Donnie,” right fielder Andre Ethier said.

The Dodgers didn’t have much time to reflect on the managerial shift, however, because they had a more immediate problem Friday night at Dodger Stadium: having to face Ubaldo Jimenez, the Colorado Rockies’ ace and Cy Young Award candidate.

Jimenez wasn’t razor sharp, but the right-hander was good enough on a night when Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda was tagged for five runs (three earned) and seven hits — including four consecutive hits in the fourth inning — in six innings as the Rockies defeated the Dodgers, 7-5.

Jonathan Broxton also continued to struggle as the reliever gave up two runs to Colorado in the seventh inning.

Catcher A.J. Ellis led the Dodgers’ offense with three hits and two runs batted in.

The Dodgers threatened to get closer in their half of the seventh inning when they loaded the bases with one out. But Casey Blake struck out and Matt Kemp grounded out.

Both the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres lost, so the third-place Rockies pulled to within 1 1/2 games of first-place San Francisco in the NL West. San Diego is half a game back.

Before the game, as Torre and Mattingly were about to hold a news conference, Ethier said “It’s sad to see Joe go out right now.”

Torre was “a great motivator and helped me,” Ethier said, adding that “you look back and realize … how special was it to get to play for Joe Torre?”

Blake said of Torre’s decision: “I kind of felt it coming, sensed it a little bit, so I wasn’t really surprised.”

“I really admire Joe, I love the guy, I’ve really enjoyed playing for him,” Blake said. “Not only is he a great manager, he’s an even better person, and that’s why he’s had the success he’s had.”

As for Mattingly, 49, Blake said, “He’s got a pretty even head on him, he’s down to earth. He respects the game and he’s going to demand that from his players. I’m looking forward to playing for him.”

Although Mattingly was being groomed for the job — Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully opened Friday’s game by saying Mattingly’s appointment was “no surprise, really” — a number of Dodgers followers thought that Tim Wallach, manager of the team’s triple-A team in Albuquerque, should have gotten a closer look.

But Wallach, who is helping the Dodgers’ coaching staff the rest of this season, said, “Donnie has put his time in. He deserves this, deserves an opportunity.”

“I’m happy for him,” Wallach said. “I think he’s going to do a great job. He’s obviously got the knowledge, he’s got the temperament, he’s got the ability to deal with these guys.”

There is speculation that Wallach now will entertain managerial offers from other clubs, and Wallach said, “Hopefully somebody actively pursues me.”

Managing at triple-A, he said, “wasn’t necessarily to lead me to managing the Dodgers. It was to get experience to have an opportunity to manage at some point.”

Asked if he would entertain the idea of joining Mattingly’s coaching staff, Wallach replied, “Absolutely I would.” But he said he and Mattingly had not talked about that prospect.

Wallach added, however, that “I’m not comfortable with that [discussion] because these guys have done a great job,” referring to the current staff.

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