DODGERS NOTEBOOK: DUNCAN, HONEYCUTT STAY.

Byline: Doug Padilla

Staff Writer

Joe Torre filled out his coaching staff Friday and in the process he stumbled across a motto that might serve his first Dodgers club well. "We play today. We win today. That's it."

Mariano Duncan, who learned he will return for his third season as first-base coach, used theslogan when he played for Torre's Yankees team in 1996. All that squad did that season was win the World Series.

Duncan joins another holdover from former manager Grady Little's staff, as Rick Honeycutt will return for his third season as pitching coach.

Bob Schaefer will take over as bench coach and Ken Howell will be promoted from minor- league pitching coach to the Dodgers' bullpen coach. Special coach Manny Mota also will return.

The group will join hitting coach Don Mattingly and third- base coach Larry Bowa, who are moving from the Yankees along with Torre. Duncan, Honeycutt and Howell all were former Dodgers players who were deemed valuable because of their knowledge of the current roster.

"There is value in continuity and value in knowing who they are and how they go about their work," general manager Ned Colletti said. "There is a lot of work to be done and we feel all three of these coaches have tremendous upside in the organization. We went through a long process and are glad with who we have."

Schaefer will become Torre's right-hand man after serving in the bench- coach role with the Oakland Athletics last season. Schaefer has also served as the special assistant to the general manager in Atlanta in 2006 and was the Kansas City Royals' bench coach in 1991 and again from 2002-05.

Schaefer came recommended by Mattingly. Schaefer was Mattingly's first minor-league manager with Greensboro in 1980.

"It's remarkable we're both in our 60s and we haven't come together before now," Torre said. "I interviewed him and was confident in what his thought process is, and it coincides with what my thoughts are. I interviewed him on Donnie's recommendation, but he was on Ned's short list also."

Torre said that all four coaches named Friday were the only ones he interviewed.

Not returning as Dodgers coaches are Rich Donnelly (third base), Dan Warthen (bullpen) and Dave Jauss (bench). Bill Mueller moves from hitting coach back into a front-office role.

The Dodgers also announced Friday that Rick Ragazzo was named special assistant to the general manager. Ragazzo spent the past 17 seasons in the San Francisco Giants organization, 11 of those as director of internal operations.

Ragazzo is a former assistant baseball coach at Fullerton College (1985-88) and Loyola Marymount (1988-90).

LaRoche helps lead U.S. to World Cup semifinals

Dodgers third baseman Andy LaRoche hit a two-run homer in the first inning to lead the United States over South Korea 3-1 and move the Americans into the semifinals of the Baseball World Cup in Taipei, Taiwan.

LaRoche put the United States ahead 2-0 with his third homer of the tournament, a drive that followed Jayson Nix's single.

The Yankees' Jeff Karstens struck out seven in seven innings and allowed one run and five hits for the Americans, who play the Netherlands today.

Associated Press contributed

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