It’s a circus! We just got finished with the 40-plus media outlets that jammed into our dugout to talk to Joe Torre about his return to New York. I certainly understand why it’s a big story, but it certainly tells you how much this man was beloved here.

Of course, for all of us, the four World Championships and 12 straight playoff appearances are not something that comfort anyone while we’re losing. That was as frustrating a series as I can remember and I know that everyone knows we have to play better. I think we just have to feel fortunate that we didn’t lose any ground in the standings.

Meanwhile, despite arriving at 4:30 a.m., we popped over to Yankee Stadium today for a tour of the old and new stadiums and both are pretty cool for different reasons. Hard to believe that after this year, Dodger Stadium will be the third-oldest in baseball. As for Shea Stadium, barring a postseason return, this is our final series here and safe to say, I don’t know many who will miss this joint.

On the bright side, Jeff Kent is expected to play tonight so let’s hope he’s back on track with his three-hit game on Monday. Here’s the lineup:

Pierre, LF

Ethier, RF

Martin, C

Kent, 2B

Loney, 1B

Kemp, CF

DeWitt, 3B

Maza, SS

Penny, P