VERO BEACH, Fla. — Having reached retirement age some time ago, Joe Torre had an opportunity to kick back and take it easy, maybe do a little broadcasting to occupy his time.

He got the one phone call that persuaded him otherwise, and now it's time to get back to work.

Forthright and relaxed, Torre expressed excitement about his job as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and sadness over the plight of Roger Clemens today during a 55-minute news conference on the eve of spring training. He even had a kind word for Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

Torre can only hope to start his new job the same way he began his last one, when he managed the Yankees to World Series triumphs in four of his first five years.

"I'm going to do what I do," he said in a packed conference room at Dodgertown, where several New York reporters reminded him of days gone by. "It doesn't guarantee you're going to win. We'll see what success is, you're dealing with a young club.

"It was tough in New York, no question. There was a great deal of pressure involved. I just thought it was time to leave. The Dodgers gave me a new chapter. I've had success; I hope that helps me here."

Success, indeed. In his 12 years as manager of the Yankees, the 67-year-old Torre set a record with 76 postseason victories.

"That's a chapter in my life that I'll be very proud to look back on," he said. "I don't think I have anything to prove."

Torre's teams reached the playoffs only once in his first 14 seasons as manager of the Mets, Braves and Cardinals, and he was fired during the 1981 and 1995 campaigns. But thanks to his success in New York, he ranks eighth on the regular-season wins list with a 2,067-1,770 record.

While the Yankees won, the Dodgers struggled. They have one postseason victory since winning the 1988 World Series, and there was trouble in the clubhouse late last year during a late-season fade that saw them finish fourth in the NL West.

Nevertheless, as Torre put it, when the Dodgers call, you listen. And so, he did — to the only managerial offer that came in.

Torre signed a three-year, $13 million contract to manage the Dodgers two weeks after walking away from the Yankees when they offered a one-year contract worth $5 million plus $3 million in performance bonuses — a proposal he termed "an insult."

"I didn't think I needed motivation to win. That's where I felt the insult came from," he explained. "My job is to get my team ready to play baseball. I learned from John Wooden, winning isn't always something you can control."

Wearing a golf shirt and blue jeans, Torre said he thinks the situation in New York began deteriorating when the Yankees blew a 3-0 lead over Boston in the 2004 AL championship series.

"It started from there," he said.

The Yankees haven't won a playoff series since.

Torre said he'll have to pay more attention because of his move to the National League, and as always, he'll use his coaches a lot.

"I'm dealing with probably more young players than I have in the past," he said. "I spent a couple of days with a number of these players at the mini camp in L.A. I'm looking forward to it. You try to pick people's brains. They all want to play the game, and they seem pretty respectful, and that's a pretty good head start."

Torre acknowledged it felt strange not being in Tampa, where the Yankees train.

"The thing that was strange was packing," he said. "I've been packing for weeks. I have a whole lot more down here than I would normally take to spring training."

Torre spent at least half the news conference answering questions about Clemens. The manager said he watched some of the congressional hearing in which Clemens repeatedly denied using steroids and human growth hormone. Clemens pitched for Torre in New York from 1999-2003 and again last season.

"It's a sad, sad time," Torre said. "It's sad for me to turn on the TV and there's Congress. You'd like to believe baseball can take care of its own house. I still think baseball is far stronger than for this to be a lasting scar. It's still a scar.

"I know Roger, obviously. I know what kind of competitor he was when he played and played with me. I'd just like to see baseball move on right now."

Torre said he hasn't spoken to Steinbrenner since declining the Yankees' offer to return, but hopes to do so again.

"I have no animosity against him," Torre said.