McCourt on Manny: We won't stop trying

Appearing on the MLB Network's "Hot Stove" show that airs today at 4 p.m. and again at 7 p.m., Dodgers owner Frank McCourt talked to Matt Vasgersian and Harold Reynolds about this, that and the other thing.

This, being Manny Ramirez: "Well, hopefully we are going to sign him soon. That is certainly our intention. You know Manny had a tremendous impact on L.A. and made great contributions to our run at the end of last season. I've seldom seen a situation like his with our fans. I mean that love affair was tremendous. It's our intention to try and bring Manny back. We've tried to do that, been unsuccessful to date, but that doesn't mean we are going to stop trying."

That, being Alex Rodriguez: "We're in a new era now. We have new testing, we have new rules that everybody has bought into, and it has cleaned up the game. It sent a message to kids that you don't do this. Don't take steroids. They're not good for you. You don't need to. So I think the playing field has been leveled again but it's the past that we continue to have to deal with on a daily basis."

And the other thing, Joe Torre's book: "Well, Joe is a well known figure in baseball and I think his transition to L.A. has been a great one. We had a very successful season last year. I think he is very comfortable there and we're certainly very comfortable with him. The book was something that was in the works prior to the time that we made our deal with Joe. Having said that, in our contract with Joe there is a confidentiality provision that he can't be writing a book about the Dodgers or our team, so that was very important to us. Not because of the book, it's because we have that with all of our uniform personnel."

As to whether Torre needs to address the book with his current players, McCourt added: "I think that is something Joe has to work out with our players. Joe has a tremendous amount of respect and good will that has been built up over years and years and years with players and I think that is going to serve him well in this situation. Joe is a very good communicator. He is very direct with people. He is very good with players and I think he will have a conversation but I suspect that conversation will be between him and the players."