A level playing field.
He doesn't guarantee a world series, world series berth, or even a playoff berth.
He can't make Nomar hit better, Juan Pierre walk more, or Brad Penny pitch better in the second half...but he can possibly ease the tension between the young vs the old that was in the clubhouse last year.
Managers in baseball have always been overrated. Strategy is definately a part of the game, but theres a fundamental strategy that most managers can follow...which pretty much leaves it up to the players to go out and hit, field, and run hard.
The only real job of a MLB manager is to keep the players happy, fresh, and all pulling on the same side of the rope...and this is what Torre is known for being a master of. This is why we hired him.
Torre will command, and likely get, his respect. Torre is all business, and the fact that the McCourts spent 15 million on a manager shows they mean business too. The players will see and get this message, and hopefully put last season behind them.
Torre wasn't hired because of his 4 rings and 12 consecutive playoff appearances (I'm sure that had something to do with it)...Torre was hired because he's the one guy who can walk into the clubhouse and instantly have respect from every single player and tell them to quit being ****ing babies and go out and play baseball.
If some clown still has a beef with playing time or showing respect....well, then we know who to trade. It's easier to trade a guy like Matt Kemp if we know that even the most respected manager in baseball can't whip him into shape.
If Torre does manage to erase the clubhouse drama, then we're back at a level playing field with the Padres, Rockies, and Dbacks. He doesn't make our team better, he just makes us the competetive team we were last year before the bitterness showed up
That's my thoughts on this. Reply or dont