On
November 2, 1995, Joe Torre was named Manager
of the New York Yankees™. In becoming
the 31st manager in team history, he joined
Casey Stengel, Yogi Berra and Dallas Green
as the fourth skipper to have worn both
the Yankees and New York Mets™ uniforms.
Torre is in his 11th season as Manager
of the Yankees, who have made the playoffs
every year under Torre's tenure. He has
led the Yankees to 6 World Series™ appearances
during the 10 year span, winning 4 World
Series Championships, most recently in
2000.
The 2000 title was the 26th overall for
the Yankees, the most of any team in professional
sports. This was the third time the franchise
had won four titles in a span of five years;
the first time occurring from 1936 through
1939, and the second time between 1949
and 1953. The Yankees also became the first
team since the Oakland Athletics™ to
win three straight World Series titles
(1972-1974).
Torre led the 1996 Yankees to their first
World Series title since 1978. He was named
Sportsman of the Year by The Sporting News
and Co-American League Manager of the Year
by the Baseball Writers Association of
America. After losing in the first round
of the 1997 MLB™ playoffs, Torre
led the Yankees to 114 wins during the
1998 regular season, an American League™ record,
and a four-game sweep of the San Diego
Padres™ in the 1998 World Series.
Once again, Torre was named American League
Manager of the Year, and the season earned
him his second AP Manager of the Year Award.
In the 1999 series, the Yankees swept the
Atlanta Braves™ and accomplished
the feat of winning 12 consecutive World
Series games.
During his seventeen-year playing career,
Torre compiled a .297 batting average,
2,342 hits, 252 home runs, and 1,185 RBI
while playing for Braves, Cardinals, and
Mets franchises. He hit over .300 five
times in his career and was a nine-time
All-Star.
In 1971, Torre was the NL™ MVP
as a member of the Cardinals. By leading
the League with a .363 batting average,
230 hits, 137 RBI and 352 total bases,
Torre became the first player to lead the
NL in four offensive categories since Stan
Musial captured eight in 1948.
Torre was named catcher on The Sporting
News All-Star Team from 1964-1966. He received
the NL Gold Glove Award in 1965. Torre
hit the first regular season home run at
Atlanta Fulton County Stadium and holds
the record for most home runs (36) in a
single season (1966) by a Braves catcher.
He made his managerial debut on May 31,
1977, when he became the first player-manager
in the majors since 1959. He became the
Mets full-time skipper eighteen days later.
In 1982, Torre was named AP Manager of
the Year for leading the Atlanta Braves
to a division title.
Before returning to manage the St. Louis
Cardinals™ from 1990-1995, Torre
spent nearly six seasons as a television
broadcaster for the California Angels™.
He is the co-author of two books: Chasing
the Dream: My Lifelong Journey to the World
Series (Bantam 1997,1998), a memoir, and
the inspirational management guide, Joe
Torre's Ground Rules for Winners: 12 Keys
to Managing Team Players, Tough Bosses,
Setbacks, and Success (Hyperion 1999).
In 2002, Torre and his wife Ali launched
the Joe
Torre Safe at Home® Foundation whose
mission is to develop educational programs
that will end the cycle of domestic violence
and save lives.
Torre was born July 18, 1940, in Brooklyn,
New York. He and his wife reside in Westchester
County, New York. They have four children.