Torey Lovullo reveals Diamondbacks GM's lukewarm response to 'I love you' - "He never says it back"

Torey Lovullo has seen the good times and the bad times during his six-year run with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Serving as the team's skipper since 2017, and winning the NL Manager of the Year that season, Lovullo's relationship with his GM remains platonic at best.

The relationship between Lovullo and D-Backs GM Mike Hazen spans a long time. The pair first met when Lovullo was playing for the Cleveland Indians, a team that hired Hazen as an intern in 2001.

Moreover, Hazen and Lovullo also spent time together in the Boston Red Sox organization, where the former served as president of baseball operations, and the former as bench coach.

According to a recent piece by Evan Drellich in The Athletic, Torey Lovullo often says "I love you" to Hazen, his friend of many years. Unfortunately for Lovullo, the sentiment is apparently not often reciprocated by Mike Hazen, who has been the D-Backs GM since late 2016.

"GM Mike Hazen introduced new manager Torey Lovullo and both are excited about the direction the #DBacks are heading" - Arizona Diamondbacks

In Drellich's piece, Lovullo maintained that Hazen never says "I love you" back to him. However, the Arizona Diamondbacks GM disputed these claims, claiming that he he does say it, albeit far less often, stating that the ratio is about 90-10 in favor of Lovullo.

Despite squeaking into the postseason with the lowest amount of wins in the NL bracket, the D-Backs overcame expectations. Lovullo's club made relatively quick work of the Brewers and Dodgers before snatching the NL Pennant away from the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 7 of the NLCS.

@corbin_carroll explains what makes @dbacks manager Torey Lovullo such a great leader" - Foul Territory

The Snakes eventually lost to the Texas Rangers in the World Series. However, both Torey Lovullo and Mike Hazen were widely praised for compiling and managing and directing a team made of mostly of dynamic, yet inexperienced young talent.

Torey Lovullo's emotional approach is what makes him a managerial gem

To say that the Diamondbacks' 2023 playoff run was emotional would be an understatement. Through it all, the 58-year old Lovullo maintained an open line of communication with his players and displayed a passion that undoubtedly helped his team nearly win it all.

Perhaps if the Diamondbacks had won it all, Hazen would have had less of a problem saying that he indeed loves Lovullo back.