When Joe Torre retired from managing last September, he said, he did not expect his next job to be as intense as the one he has chosen. But Torre said Saturday that he was looking forward to life as a top lieutenant of Commissioner Bud Selig.

"I still have the energy to work," Torre said at a news conference at Salt River Fields, the new spring home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies. "Baseball has been a huge part of my life, and I would like to do something significant. This fills the bill, there's no question about it."

Torre, 70, is Major League Baseball's new executive vice president for baseball operations, a job that gives him final authority on discipline for on-field issues. Torre will also oversee umpiring and serve as Selig's primary liaison to managers and general managers. Selig will keep Torre's phone number handy.