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 wear both Yankee and New York Met uniforms.
Torre guided the 2001 Yankees to their fifth World Series appearance in his seven year tenure, culminating with a dramatic seven game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2000, he led the team to their fourth World Series title in five years. In defeating the New York Mets, the Yankees had won 16 out of their last 17 World Series games.
The title is the 26th overall for the Yankees, the most of any team in professional sports. They are just the third team to win four titles in five years, the other two also being Yankees’ teams. The Bronx Bombers captured four straight titles beginning in 1936 and later won five consecutive championships from 1949-53. The Yankees also became the first team since the Oakland Athletics from 1972-74 to win three straight world titles.
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 a return to post-season competition in 1997, 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, winning 12 straight 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’s while playing for Milwaukee, Atlanta, St. Louis and the Mets. He hit over .300 five times in his career and was a nine-time All-Star.
In 1971, Torre was the National League MVP as a member of the Cardinals. By leading the league with a .363 batting average, 230 hits, 137 RBI’s 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 in Atlanta’s 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 bacame 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, 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.
Torre is involved with several charities including the Starlight Children’s Foundation, the American Heart Association and the CaP Cure, an organization that raises money for prostate cancer research.
At the podium, Torre offers an inspiring story of personal and professional triumph. Drawing on championship memories and his own inspiring story of cancer recovery, he energizes people to compete and to find within themselves the will to succeed. He also demonstrates the need for selfless teamwork as a key component to reaching a common goal.
