Former L.A. Times sports columnist J.A. Adande writes on ESPN.com that the Dodgers’ signing of Joe Torre as manager will do little to improve the team’s local standing. What’s to improve? Afterall, the Dodgers drew their usual three million-plus fans (3.8 milion to be exact) last season, which is pretty good for a fourth-place team (the team was second only to the Yankees in home attendance). But anyone who follows Southern California sports knows the Dodgers lost their place as the area’s No. 1 sports franchise a while ago, giving up that title to the Lakers and, I would argue, the USC football team which has become L.A.’s defacto NFL franchise. The Dodgers commmitted the greatest of sins, they became boring. The team has won–every Dodger manager since Tommy Lasorda has had a winning record. It’s just been that there’s been nothing about the team to grab on to. Consider that the Dodger of the 1980s were able to hold their own with the Lakers’ greatest: Showtime. They lost their place to the Shaq-Kobe Lakers who not only won but had a daily soap opera quality about them. Of course, soap operas lose viewrs as they inevitably become played out and more ridiculous and I think we’re at that point with the Lakers. So perhaps Torre with a young core of exciting players such as Russell Martin and James Loney, have a bit of an opening to regain their place. They just better make sure it’s not fourth place.

Tags: J.A. Adande, Joe Torre, kobe bryant, LA Times, los angeles dodgers, Los Angeles Lakers, Marilyn Monroe alien abduction, Shaquille O'Neal, usc