Torre said Friday he will retire at the end of the season, although the 70-year-old skipper couldn't say with certainty that he'll never manage again. The Dodgers immediately announced hitting coach Don Mattingly will replace him in 2011.

Torre shed no tears at a news conference in Dodger Stadium before his club opened a six-game homestand against Colorado and San Diego, which have both blown past the fourth-place Dodgers in the NL West standings this season.

"Baseball has been my life, and hopefully will continue to be my life in some capacity," Torre said. "When I came out here, it was just to find out if managing can be fun again, and it's been fun. ... But you have to make some decisions by instinct, and my instinct tells me it's time to go."

Torre became one of the most famous and respected coaches in American sports during 12 winning seasons that included four championships with the Yankees, but he walked away from the club following the 2007 season, New York's fourth straight without a World Series appearance. The Yankees made a lowball contract offer that insulted Torre with its bonuses for advancing in the postseason, effectively forcing Torre to depart with his pride.

He left New York feeling frustration and burnout -- but a call from the Dodgers persuaded him to return to the NL, where he spent most of his playing career. Although he never matched his Bronx success in Hollywood, Torre still revitalized the Dodgers while reaching the NL championship series twice.

His current club began the penultimate homestand of its season at 72-75 and in fourth place, its playoff chances all but erased.

"Three years have gone by very quickly," said Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, whose highly public divorce trial resumes Monday. "You've done some marvelous things for this organization. I know this year was a disappointment, but what you achieved is something that hasn't been achieved here in 32 years."

McCourt referred to the Dodgers' back-to-back playoff appearances and NL West titles in 2008 and 2009. Los Angeles lost both times to Philadelphia in the NL championship series.

Torre suggested he'll accept another job with the Dodgers, saying he plans to speak with general manager Ned Colletti next month about a role. The Brooklyn native plans to keep living in Southern California with his wife, who has run their charity foundation from the West Coast.

Torre also is almost certain to get quick admission to the Hall of Fame: Every manager with at least four championships except him already is in Cooperstown.

"I know that he had talked about [retiring]," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who played for Torre in New York. "It'll be interesting to see how he feels in December -- if he stays retired. Joe has been doing it a long time, and I'm sure there's other things Joe wants to do with his life. Am I surprised by it? I don't think I would have been surprised either way, because I know how much he loves to manage, but I also know how much he loves his family."

Torre turned 70 in July, and has been rumored to be interested in returning to the broadcast booth -- or even in owning a team. He has a 2,318-1,990 regular-season record in 29 major league seasons as a manager that included stints with the New York Mets, Atlanta and St. Louis.

Torre now will lead the unusually large parade of famous managers ending their careers this season. Lou Piniella walked away from the Cubs in late August, while Atlanta's Bobby Cox and Toronto's Cito Gaston also plan to hang up their caps next month.