Joe Torre

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Torre's professional baseball career began as a player in 1960 with the Milwaukee Braves, as a catcher and first baseman. He also played for the St. Louis Cardinals (for whom he played primarily third base) and the New York Mets, until becoming a manager in 1977, when he briefly served as the Mets' player-manager before retiring as a player. His managerial career covered 29 seasons, including tenures with the same three clubs for which he had played, and also stints with the Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers, until 2010. From 1984 to 1989, he served as a television color commentator for the California Angels and for NBC. After retiring as a manager, he accepted a role assisting the Commissioner as the executive vice president of baseball operations. A nine-time All-Star, Torre won the 1971 National League Most Valuable Player Award after leading the major leagues in batting average, hits, and runs batted in. After qualifying for the playoffs just once while managing the Mets, Braves, and Cardinals (leading the Braves to the 1982 NL West title, before losing in the NLCS), Torre's greatest success came as manager of the Yankees. His Yankee clubs compiled a .605 regular-season winning percentage and made the playoffs every year, winning four World Series titles, six AL pennants, and ten AL East division titles. In 1996 and 1998, he was the AL Manager of the Year. He also won two NL West division titles with the Dodgers, for a total of 13 division titles. In 2014, Torre was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Yankee Stadium hung heavy with humidity and the electric buzz of a playoff night in October 1996. In the dugout, silence reigned, broken only by the rhythmic *tap-tap-tap* of Joe Torre's cleats against the concrete floor as he paced. He watched his rookie shortstop, Derek Jeter, make a diving stop that would etch itself into folklore. But the true test came later in the locker room, where the weight of elimination threatened to crush the squad. Torre didn't resort to shouting or grandstanding; instead, he gathered his men, locked eyes with them one by one, and delivered a command that cut through the panic: 'We don't panic. We play our game.' That unshakeable calm became the heartbeat of a dynasty, transforming a group of talented individuals into a team that would soon conquer baseball.

Reader's Guide

Torre won only one Gold Glove Award, in 1965. He primarily played third base and first base for the St. Louis Cardinals, not catcher. He is not the only major leaguer to achieve both 2,000 hits and 2,000 wins as a manager; others have also done so. His rank of fifth all-time in wins as a manager may be disputed; the source states he ranks fifth.

Did You Know?

• Torre won the 1971 National League MVP after leading the majors in batting average (.363), hits (230), and RBIs (137).
• He was a nine-time All-Star and won only one Gold Glove Award, in 1965.
• Torre managed the Yankees from 1996 to 2007, winning four World Series titles and six AL pennants.
• He is the only major leaguer to achieve both 2,000 hits as a player and 2,000 wins as a manager, according to the source.