Torre shares managing experience at forum

The most important assets for a professional baseball manager are communication with the players and leadership skills, Torre said at “The Torre Forum.”

The 69-year-old manager is leading the Dodgers on their second trip to Taiwan, 17 years after their inaugural visit.

Dozens of local coaches from the amateur and professional levels in Taiwan were eager to learn from Torre, who won four World Series titles with the New York Yankees, during the 90-minute forum which concluded with a question and answer session.

Torre said he always told his players that the goal to win was the same but that everyone has a different way to reach that final destination. As a manager, he said, what he could do was to try and keep players in their best shape, train them and offer suggestions.

He never believed in scolding players and putting too much pressure on them, Torre said, but he doesn't think players should find excuses for themselves either.

It's not a big deal to lose games, he said, but the more important thing is not to lose to yourself.

A manager also needs to have the ability to explain situations and his decisions to players, because sometimes players don't know where and what the problem is.

As for Taiwanese players in the MLB, Torre said he wished Wang Chien-ming the best.

Wang was managed by Torre in New York and is now trying to revive his career with the Washington Nationals as he recovers from a shoulder injury.

“I hope he beats as many teams as possible but mine,” he joked.

Torre said he envisions Hu Chin-lung, who has been trying to secure a place on the Dodgers 25-man roster, as a second baseman rather than a shortstop, Hu's most comfortable position, because the Dodgers already have a good shortstop in Rafael Furcal.

But he said Hu still needed to build up his physical strength.

Also attending the forum were Vice Premier Eric Liluan Chu, who also serves as the convener of a baseball revitalization plan and Tai Hsia-ling, the head of the Sports Affairs Council, Taiwan's highest sports governing body.

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