by Mark Kriegel

Already down 10-3 in the seventh inning of an afternoon game, the Arizona Diamondbacks had ensured that the evening's festivities at Chavez Ravine would lack any suspense. By the time Torre arrived to brief reporters in the dugout, the Dodgers' last regular-season home game had been reduced to a ritual.

And that was just fine by Torre, who had watched the Diamondbacks' ignominious demise in the comfort of his office. Also in attendance were Frank and Jamie McCourt, who own the Dodgers, and Ned Colletti, the general manager. It was a collegial affair. No booze. No dancing. Certainly, no one would be penalized for excessive celebration. They all shook hands when it was over.

The manager didn't need to be soaked in champagne and beer to be reminded that the Dodgers had just won the National League West.

"I'd just as soon get it over with," said Torre.

Next week will mark Torre's 13th consecutive playoff appearance. It's an extraordinary figure that puts him one behind the record-holder, Atlanta's Bobby Cox, who has 14. Then again, there are those — Torre's former employer being first among them — who would diminish the manager's streak by arguing against baseball's divisional format.

As Yankees owner Hank Steinbrenner whined in The Sporting News: "It isn't fair. You see it this season, with plenty of people in the media pointing out that Joe Torre and the Dodgers are going to the playoffs while we're not. This is by no means a knock on Torre — let me make that clear — but look at the division they're in ...

"I'm happy for Joe, but you have to compare the divisions and the competition. What if the Yankees finish the season with more wins than the Dodgers but the Dodgers make the playoffs? Does that make the Dodgers a better team? No."

It's not fair? Is it fair that the Yankees, with their $209 million payroll, were beaten out by the Tampa Bay Rays, who come in at $44 million?

What if? Hey, what if Hank had not been born a Steinbrenner?

I'm happy for Joe? Now that doesn't deserve a question in response. That's just a lie.

Don't blame Steinbrenner for wanting to go with another manager. Blame him for being small.

Last week, as the Yankees were celebrating the impending demolition of their great cathedral, Steinbrenner's minions committed one of the most egregiously obvious slights I can remember.

The greatest component of Yankee Tradition, of course, is money. The Yankees are moving to a new, publicly subsidized stadium across the street where they can charge "fans" up to $2,500 a seat. Apparently, a money grab of this magnitude warrants a colossal gala. It's no surprise, then, that all the Yankee greats were there for the final game: Rudy Giuliani, Val Kilmer, Richard Gere, even Kevin Millar. But Hank Steinbrenner's minions saw to it that the festivities — which lasted as long as the Super Bowl pregame — bore no mention of Torre, who managed the team to four World Series championships and 12 consecutive playoff appearances.

Torre has declined to comment on the slight, but Thursday I asked him about Steinbrenner's argument, that winning the NL West means less than winning the AL East.

He went on about the divisional format and the cyclical nature of sports. It was his way of avoiding the question. Complaining about the divisional format, he said, "is just a natural reaction."

Torre doesn't want to gloat. To root against Steinbrenner's team, he said the other day, "would mean that I'm happy that (Derek) Jeter is not in it and (Joe) Girardi is not in it. That's just not right. I could never do that."

That's not to say there aren't hard feelings. Torre turned down an incentive-laden contract with a guaranteed $5 million salary with the Yankees for a three-year $13 million deal with the Dodgers. "There were certain people there (read: Hank and Hal Steinbrenner) that felt that if they motivated me with money, it would make me manage better," he said. "I didn't understand that concept. That's where I had said that was an insult."

The insult — if that's what you want to call it — framed this entire season. Torre went west, and apparently so did his good fortune. The Yankees have 87 wins. The Dodgers have 83. But who'd you rather be now, Joe or Hank?

"I'm as relaxed as I've been in a while," said Torre.

I've never seen him looking this good so late in the season. In Octobers past, you could see the weight of expectation had already worn him down. The worst October, he said Thursday, was '98, when the Yankees won 114 regular-season games. "We were tense," said Torre.

That team wasn't playing the Indians or the Rangers or the Padres in the postseason. They were playing the '27 Yankees. They were playing for history.

The Dodgers — who made the playoffs despite what Colletti said was "like 1,200 days on the DL" — have their own history. They have won a single playoff game in 20 years. They will be reminded of this fact countless times in the coming days.

"I tried to get that point across," said Torre, who spoke to his team after the Arizona loss. "I don't want them to be carrying 20 years."

That's the move that makes Joe Torre a great manager. He protects his players from the pressures of expectation, an especially considerable feat when you're working for the Steinbrenners. He does his best to insulate them from the joylessness that's killed many a playoff run.

"Don't let it get in the way of playing the game," he said.

The Dodgers have had their fun, despite injuries to Brad Penny, Rafael Furcal, Takashi Saito, Nomar Garciaparra, Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones (OK, maybe that one didn't hurt so much). Given the circumstances, 83 wins and a divisional championship is something to be proud of.

"Makes me feel like I'm earning my money," said Torre.

In a matter of hours, after a lackluster 7-5 loss to the Padres, the manager would be doused with champagne. The celebration spilled onto the field. The air at Chavez Ravine was thick and scented as Torre addressed the fans. "I have a feeling we're gonna have a little more fun," he told them. "For about a month."