Manager Joe Torre
This post is part of a series that includes material originally written for The New York Yankees All-Time All-Stars but had to hit the cutting room floor prior to publication. For other posts in the series you can search for the label "Author's Cut" on this site.
Like Casey Stengel before him, Joe Torre getting hired as Yankee manager was a head-scratcher. After a long and productive career as a player he transitioned right into managing where he excelled at losing consistently. By the time he reached the Yankees he was the sad clown of baseball, and nobody expected those fortunes to change in The Bronx. Yet, just like Stengel did, he shocked the baseball world and helped crown the Yankees the unquestioned kings of the diamond again. His cool demeanor and sober approach to baseball’s daily grind was tailor made for the team he inherited as they fully bought in to what he was selling. The nickname “Broadway Joe” may have already been taken, but he was as popular as Times Square during his heyday in New York.
A native of Brooklyn, Joe Torre grew up in a Sicilian family where baseball was a way of life. One of his older brothers, Frank, was playing professional baseball by the time Joe was an adolescent and his father, though he was abusive at home, served as a scout for the Boston Braves and Baltimore Orioles. Joe proved to be a solid ballplayer despite his stocky build and by 19 years old had made his major league debut with the Milwaukee Braves.
For the next 18 years Torre was an excellent hitter for the Braves, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. Splitting his time between catcher, third base and first base, he produced 57.6 WAR over the span of his career and even won the National League MVP in 1971 with the Cardinals. During his last year as a player he also served as manager of the Mets for the 1977 season.
Torre remained with the Mets as manager for the next four seasons to mostly disastrous results. His best finish was still 21 games below .500 in the strike-shortened 1981 season. He was then hired by the Atlanta Braves prior to the 1982 season and led them to 89 wins and a spot in the National League Championship Series where they would be swept by the Cardinals. Atlanta’s win total decreased each of the next two seasons and he was let go as manager in 1984.
After spending five years as a color analyst on TV for the California Angels, Torre was given the unenviable task of replacing legend Whitey Herzog as manager of the Cardinals half way through the 1990 season. There he fielded mostly average teams and never came closer than ten games out of first place before getting the ax again 47 games into the 1995 campaign. In 14 years as a big league manager Torre was over 100 games below .500 with one playoff appearance and no playoff wins. Even Torre himself was surprised by the next job offer he got, but George Steinbrenner’s mind sometimes worked in mysterious ways.
Furious at the Yankees’ playoff collapse in 1995 under Buck Showalter, who had methodically worked them back to prominence, Steinbrenner sought a new manager heading into 1996. He struck out on the first three candidates on his list and settled for Torre, his fourth option. The New York Daily News dubbed him “Clueless Joe” after his introductory press conference, but they had misread his relaxed attitude.
After a lifetime in baseball with no success to show for it, Torre had nothing to lose. What they were seeing was the unadulterated version of him, Joe from Brooklyn, who handled the aggressive and skeptical New York media with a calm charisma that would have been more appropriate coming from a mafia boss than a baseball manager. He recognized that he had more talent at his disposal on both his roster and coaching staff than he ever had before. Wisely, he delegated to his seasoned lieutenants in bench coach Don Zimmer and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, and trusted his players to do the right thing, even youngsters Andy Pettitte and Derek Jeter.
Torre’s players recognized immediately that their manager was no clown. In fact, David Cone marveled at his ability to effectively create a tranquil environment when he said, “I remember right off the bat that calming influence that he had, the way he conducted team meetings, the way he talked to people. You could sense that he was going to be a calming influence.” In a hard fought season filled with ups and downs, Torre was a steady, reassuring presence, pushing buttons only when they needed to be pushed, and easing concerns at every turn. Brian Cashman, an Assistant General Manager at the time, also recognized this trait in Torre as he noted, “He had the ability with his tone and his words to drop Calm Bombs at just the right times, and suddenly it was not as tense anymore.”
When the Yankees found themselves in the World Series, Torre’s nerve was put to the test but he passed with flying colors. The Yankees were embarrassed at home in Game One, losing 12-1 to the Atlanta Braves. A frantic and nervous Steinbrenner approached Torre prior to Game Two, who unflinchingly said, “You should be prepared for us to lose again tonight. But then we’re going to Atlanta. Atlanta’s my town. We’ll take three games there and win it back here on Saturday.” The Yankees did just that and won the first World Series championship for the Yankees since 1978, an eternity in Yankee years. The magic of 1996 ran out in 1997 as the Yankees lost their first round match-up with the Cleveland Indians, but great success still lied ahead for Torre and his team.
In 1998 a team that has been considered among the best of all-time won a staggering 114 games in the regular season. Torre successfully battled prostate cancer in 1999 as the Yankees battled their way back to the World Series for a re-match with the Braves. A season later they would falter down the stretch but found the resolve to return to the Fall Classic yet again, this time in a Subway Series with the crosstown Mets. Each year the Yankees ended their season on top, completing a World Series three-peat.
The Yankees playoff success was no accident on Torre’s account. Shortly after that Subway Series win, he would say, “When you’re managing during the season, you’re doing things to help you in the long run. When you get into a short series, you’re doing things for today…you have to do what you think is right to get an out, to get an inning, to get a hit.” The man who had spent a lifetime in baseball without ever coming close to a successful October could now do no wrong.
When the Yankees returned to the World Series again in 2001 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, it seemed a foregone conclusion that they would make it four straight. They came up on the short end of a thrilling Game Seven finish, but one could hardly feel bad for Torre. In his six years as Yankee manager to that point he had steered the team to five American League pennants and four World Series wins. In major league history only Joe McCarthy and Casey Stengel had enjoyed such a hot streak before.
By 2002 Torre could basically walk on water in New York, he was the city’s new Teflon Don. For the next six years the Yankees remained top contenders in the American League, but Torre would never reach the heights he found at the turn of the century. Despite averaging 99 regular season wins between 2002 and 2007, Torre had lost too many players and coaches that he had depended on in crunch time during his championship run.
David Cone had left as a free agent in 2000, Paul O’Neill retired after the 2001 season, Bernie Williams’ play began to decline, and Don Zimmer, Torre’s right-hand man, was chased out of town by Steinbrenner in 2003. The Yankees had reached the World Series again that year, but lost to the upstart Florida Marlins, then suffered a shocking loss to the Red Sox in the 2004 American League Championship Series after being up three games to none. After three subsequent first round exits in the playoffs, and an insurmountable amount of pressure applied by George Steinbrenner, Torre and the Yankees parted ways on relatively bitter terms in 2007.
Through all of that turmoil, Torre never wavered from his principles. Mike Mussina was a key member of Torre’s pitching staff over his tumultuous final six years with the Yankees and noted, “Joe has a great ability, and he had a great ability in New York…to diffuse things so they don’t leak into his clubhouse, so they don’t get to the players, so they don’t become distractions. That’s one of his best qualities.”
However, Torre’s lasting legacy will always be the unlikely respect he commanded among everyone associated with the Yankees during his tenure. There was no more high profile Yankee superstar than Derek Jeter during this time and to this day, he exclusively refers to his former manager as “Mr. Torre”. Clueless Joe got the last laugh.
“Our manager has taught us what we have to do to win. Everyone on this team plays hard and is ready to perform when he calls on them.” – Derek Jeter
Like Casey Stengel before him, Joe Torre getting hired as Yankee manager was a head-scratcher. After a long and productive career as a player he transitioned right into managing where he excelled at losing consistently. By the time he reached the Yankees he was the sad clown of baseball, and nobody expected those fortunes to change in The Bronx. Yet, just like Stengel did, he shocked the baseball world and helped crown the Yankees the unquestioned kings of the diamond again. His cool demeanor and sober approach to baseball’s daily grind was tailor made for the team he inherited as they fully bought in to what he was selling. The nickname “Broadway Joe” may have already been taken, but he was as popular as Times Square during his heyday in New York.
A native of Brooklyn, Joe Torre grew up in a Sicilian family where baseball was a way of life. One of his older brothers, Frank, was playing professional baseball by the time Joe was an adolescent and his father, though he was abusive at home, served as a scout for the Boston Braves and Baltimore Orioles. Joe proved to be a solid ballplayer despite his stocky build and by 19 years old had made his major league debut with the Milwaukee Braves.
For the next 18 years Torre was an excellent hitter for the Braves, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. Splitting his time between catcher, third base and first base, he produced 57.6 WAR over the span of his career and even won the National League MVP in 1971 with the Cardinals. During his last year as a player he also served as manager of the Mets for the 1977 season.
Torre remained with the Mets as manager for the next four seasons to mostly disastrous results. His best finish was still 21 games below .500 in the strike-shortened 1981 season. He was then hired by the Atlanta Braves prior to the 1982 season and led them to 89 wins and a spot in the National League Championship Series where they would be swept by the Cardinals. Atlanta’s win total decreased each of the next two seasons and he was let go as manager in 1984.
After spending five years as a color analyst on TV for the California Angels, Torre was given the unenviable task of replacing legend Whitey Herzog as manager of the Cardinals half way through the 1990 season. There he fielded mostly average teams and never came closer than ten games out of first place before getting the ax again 47 games into the 1995 campaign. In 14 years as a big league manager Torre was over 100 games below .500 with one playoff appearance and no playoff wins. Even Torre himself was surprised by the next job offer he got, but George Steinbrenner’s mind sometimes worked in mysterious ways.
Joe Torre came to the Yankees with a less than stellar reputation following the 1995 season.
Johnmaxmena/Wikimedia Commons
Furious at the Yankees’ playoff collapse in 1995 under Buck Showalter, who had methodically worked them back to prominence, Steinbrenner sought a new manager heading into 1996. He struck out on the first three candidates on his list and settled for Torre, his fourth option. The New York Daily News dubbed him “Clueless Joe” after his introductory press conference, but they had misread his relaxed attitude.
After a lifetime in baseball with no success to show for it, Torre had nothing to lose. What they were seeing was the unadulterated version of him, Joe from Brooklyn, who handled the aggressive and skeptical New York media with a calm charisma that would have been more appropriate coming from a mafia boss than a baseball manager. He recognized that he had more talent at his disposal on both his roster and coaching staff than he ever had before. Wisely, he delegated to his seasoned lieutenants in bench coach Don Zimmer and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, and trusted his players to do the right thing, even youngsters Andy Pettitte and Derek Jeter.
Torre’s players recognized immediately that their manager was no clown. In fact, David Cone marveled at his ability to effectively create a tranquil environment when he said, “I remember right off the bat that calming influence that he had, the way he conducted team meetings, the way he talked to people. You could sense that he was going to be a calming influence.” In a hard fought season filled with ups and downs, Torre was a steady, reassuring presence, pushing buttons only when they needed to be pushed, and easing concerns at every turn. Brian Cashman, an Assistant General Manager at the time, also recognized this trait in Torre as he noted, “He had the ability with his tone and his words to drop Calm Bombs at just the right times, and suddenly it was not as tense anymore.”
When the Yankees found themselves in the World Series, Torre’s nerve was put to the test but he passed with flying colors. The Yankees were embarrassed at home in Game One, losing 12-1 to the Atlanta Braves. A frantic and nervous Steinbrenner approached Torre prior to Game Two, who unflinchingly said, “You should be prepared for us to lose again tonight. But then we’re going to Atlanta. Atlanta’s my town. We’ll take three games there and win it back here on Saturday.” The Yankees did just that and won the first World Series championship for the Yankees since 1978, an eternity in Yankee years. The magic of 1996 ran out in 1997 as the Yankees lost their first round match-up with the Cleveland Indians, but great success still lied ahead for Torre and his team.
In 1998 a team that has been considered among the best of all-time won a staggering 114 games in the regular season. Torre successfully battled prostate cancer in 1999 as the Yankees battled their way back to the World Series for a re-match with the Braves. A season later they would falter down the stretch but found the resolve to return to the Fall Classic yet again, this time in a Subway Series with the crosstown Mets. Each year the Yankees ended their season on top, completing a World Series three-peat.
The Yankees playoff success was no accident on Torre’s account. Shortly after that Subway Series win, he would say, “When you’re managing during the season, you’re doing things to help you in the long run. When you get into a short series, you’re doing things for today…you have to do what you think is right to get an out, to get an inning, to get a hit.” The man who had spent a lifetime in baseball without ever coming close to a successful October could now do no wrong.
When the Yankees returned to the World Series again in 2001 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, it seemed a foregone conclusion that they would make it four straight. They came up on the short end of a thrilling Game Seven finish, but one could hardly feel bad for Torre. In his six years as Yankee manager to that point he had steered the team to five American League pennants and four World Series wins. In major league history only Joe McCarthy and Casey Stengel had enjoyed such a hot streak before.
By 2002 Torre could basically walk on water in New York, he was the city’s new Teflon Don. For the next six years the Yankees remained top contenders in the American League, but Torre would never reach the heights he found at the turn of the century. Despite averaging 99 regular season wins between 2002 and 2007, Torre had lost too many players and coaches that he had depended on in crunch time during his championship run.
David Cone had left as a free agent in 2000, Paul O’Neill retired after the 2001 season, Bernie Williams’ play began to decline, and Don Zimmer, Torre’s right-hand man, was chased out of town by Steinbrenner in 2003. The Yankees had reached the World Series again that year, but lost to the upstart Florida Marlins, then suffered a shocking loss to the Red Sox in the 2004 American League Championship Series after being up three games to none. After three subsequent first round exits in the playoffs, and an insurmountable amount of pressure applied by George Steinbrenner, Torre and the Yankees parted ways on relatively bitter terms in 2007.
In his later years Torre's coaching staff included legends Ron Guidry (second from left) and Don Mattingly (second from right).
Keith Allison/Wikimedia Commons
Through all of that turmoil, Torre never wavered from his principles. Mike Mussina was a key member of Torre’s pitching staff over his tumultuous final six years with the Yankees and noted, “Joe has a great ability, and he had a great ability in New York…to diffuse things so they don’t leak into his clubhouse, so they don’t get to the players, so they don’t become distractions. That’s one of his best qualities.”
However, Torre’s lasting legacy will always be the unlikely respect he commanded among everyone associated with the Yankees during his tenure. There was no more high profile Yankee superstar than Derek Jeter during this time and to this day, he exclusively refers to his former manager as “Mr. Torre”. Clueless Joe got the last laugh.
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