AY-YI-YI, SKIPPER!

The questions come at Joe Torre every day, sometimes as fiercely as a Clayton Kershaw fastball, sometimes with the trickiness of a backdoor slider.

Will he return to manage the Dodgers next season?

If he’s not sure, which way is he leaning?

Will his choice be influenced by the Dodgers’ likely failure to make the playoffs, which would be his first experience as a spectator after 12 straight postseason appearances with the New York Yankees and two with the Dodgers?

Torre, who in March ended negotiations to extend his three-year, $13-million contract, said last month he would make a decision by Labor Day. The holiday arrives today with the Dodgers eight games behind the stumbling San Diego Padres after a 3-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants, but without an announcement from Torre.

He’s now saying nothing, politely but firmly deflecting all inquiries about his future. He apologized and said he’s not trying to be a jerk but he doesn’t want his every word to be analyzed for hidden meanings that spark speculation. A simple “no comment” is all he’s offering.

“Because you guys know how to ask those questions and get me to say something,” he said to a group of reporters.

That’s our job.

“I know it is. That’s why I say I can’t fight you guys. Or try to get around you. The only way I can get around is this. You guys are good at what you do. In due time I’ll make an announcement.”

His calmness could indicate he has made a decision. He seems anxiety-free -- except when discussing the punchless middle of the batting order and a bullpen that was supposed to be an asset but has disappointed.

But if he has chosen his path he apparently hasn’t told those closest to him.

Don Mattingly, the Dodgers’ hitting coach and presumed managerial successor, said Torre has given him no hints.

“He seems relaxed as ever,” Mattingly said. “I know he gets frustrated with the way we’ve played. But he’s no different than he has been all the years I’ve been with him. He’s solid all the time.”

Mattingly has seen Torre feel and act otherwise.

“Probably the worst I’ve seen Joe is the last year in New York,” Mattingly said, referring to the 2007 season and Torre’s departure from the Yankees after he was offered a pay cut.

“He seemed really down. Not down, but bothered. And some days you could just see it seemed heavy on him. I don’t know what all was going on. And it’s nothing like that here. That’s the only time I’ve seen him and I felt like some things were on his mind.”

Third base coach Larry Bowa also said he has no idea what Torre will do.

“He’s playing it close to his vest,” Bowa said. “He’s the same as he was with the Yankees, the same as he was the last two years here. He likes to win. He gets mad when we lose. I don’t see anything different. He’s the same Joe.”

In some ways, though, he’s different. Torre, who turned 70 in July, has said he’d like to spend more time with his youngest daughter, Andrea. At this stage of his life he doesn’t need to grapple with the uncertainty over the Dodgers’ ownership. The payroll isn’t going to rise next season, with a sale of the team possible whether Frank McCourt or estranged wife Jamie prevails in divorce court.

Torre will again have a payroll less than half of what he had with the Yankees, who could easily replace overused relievers. And Frank McCourt’s credibility has proved as meager as his credit line.

But Torre, a baseball lifer, has experience with unusual ownership situations -- he earned a master’s degree under George Steinbrenner -- and is still a commanding figure.

“He has a lot of wisdom. He’s been around this game a really long time,” pitcher Chad Billingsley said. “He just knows angles and situations in the game and he lets his players play too. He takes control of the game when he needs to.”

Torre might not be ready to relinquish control. “If he doesn’t come back, he’s not retiring,” Bowa said. “I’m not saying he’s going to manage, but he’ll do something. He’s got too much energy. He likes to do things.”

Except, for now, say what he will do next season.

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helene.elliott@latimes.com

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