Joe Torre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe Torre
Torre in 2015
Catcher / First baseman / Third baseman / Manager
Born: (1940-07-18) July 18, 1940 (age 84) Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
September 25, 1960, for the Milwaukee Braves
Last appearance
June 17, 1977, for the New York Mets
MLB statistics
Batting average	.297
Hits	2,342
Home runs	252
Runs batted in	1,185
Managerial record	2,326–1,997
Winning %	.538
Teams
As player Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (1960–1968) St. Louis Cardinals (1969–1974) New York Mets (1975–1977) As manager New York Mets (1977–1981) Atlanta Braves (1982–1984) St. Louis Cardinals (1990–1995) New York Yankees (1996–2007) Los Angeles Dodgers (2008–2010)
Career highlights and awards
9× All-Star (1963–1967, 1970–1973) 4× World Series champion (1996, 1998–2000) NL MVP (1971) Gold Glove Award (1965) NL batting champion (1971) NL RBI leader (1971) 2× AL Manager of the Year (1996, 1998) New York Yankees No. 6 retired Braves Hall of Fame St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Monument Park honoree
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	2014
Vote	100%
Election Method	Expansion Era Committee

Joseph "Joe" Paul Torre Jr. (born July 18, 1940) is an American baseball legend. He was a great player, a successful manager, and now works as an executive for Major League Baseball (MLB).

Joe Torre is famous for being one of the few people in baseball to get over 2,000 hits as a player and over 2,000 wins as a manager. He is fifth all-time in MLB history for managerial wins. He is best known for managing the New York Yankees from 1996 to 2007. During that time, he led the team to four World Series championships.

Torre started his career as a player in 1960 with the Milwaukee Braves. He played as a catcher and first baseman. He also played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets. In 1977, he became a manager. He managed the Mets, Braves, Cardinals, Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers. After he stopped managing in 2010, he began working for the Commissioner of Baseball. In 2014, Joe Torre was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Baseball Start

Joseph Paul Torre Jr. was born on July 18, 1940, in Brooklyn, New York City. He was the youngest of five children. His older brother, Frank Torre, also played in the Major Leagues.

Joe grew up in the Marine Park area of Brooklyn. He played baseball at Saint Francis Prep. At first, he was not seen as a top player. But his brother Frank suggested he try playing catcher. This change helped Joe become a professional baseball prospect.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting in the Minor Leagues

Joe Torre joined the Milwaukee Braves as a young player in 1959. In his first minor league season, he was a great hitter. He won the batting championship in the Northern League with a .344 batting average.

Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves (1960–1968)

Torre made his first appearance in a major league game on September 25, 1960. In 1961, he was called up to the Braves. He hit .278 with 10 home runs. He finished second in the voting for the National League Rookie of the Year.

By 1963, Torre became the Braves' main catcher. In 1964, he had an amazing year. He batted .321 with 20 home runs and 109 runs batted in (RBIs). He was chosen to start in the All-Star Game. He also had a great fielding percentage of .995, which means he made very few errors.

In 1965, Torre hit a career-high 27 home runs. He also won his only Gold Glove Award for being the best defensive catcher. In 1966, the Braves moved to Atlanta. Torre hit the first major league home run in their new stadium. He had another strong year, hitting 36 home runs and 101 RBIs. He was an All-Star for the third year in a row.

St. Louis Cardinals (1969–1974)

In 1969, Torre was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. He started playing first base and his hitting improved again. In 1970, he split his time between playing third base and catcher. He hit 21 home runs and 100 RBIs.

In 1971, Torre played mostly third base. This was his best year as a player. He won the National League batting championship with a .363 average. He also led the league with 230 hits and 137 RBIs. He won the National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. He was also the starting third baseman in the All-Star Game.

New York Mets (1975–1977)

In 1974, Torre was traded to the New York Mets. In 1976, his batting average went up to .306. In May 1977, the Mets fired their manager. Joe Torre was named the new player-manager. This meant he would manage the team while still playing.

Torre felt he couldn't do both jobs well. So, he decided to retire as a player at age 37. His last game as a player was on June 17, 1977.

Managerial Career

New York Mets (1977–1981)

Torre managed the Mets from 1977 to 1981. The team struggled during these years and did not have a winning record. After five seasons without much success, Torre was let go in 1981.

Atlanta Braves (1982–1984)

Torre in 1982

In 1982, Torre became the manager of the Atlanta Braves. He led the team to a great start, winning 13 games in a row. This was a Major League record at the time. The Braves went on to win their division title. This was their first time in the playoffs since 1969. Torre was named the Manager of the Year. He was the first person to win both an MVP award as a player and a Manager of the Year award.

The Braves finished second in their division in 1983. This was the first time they had two winning seasons in a row since moving to Atlanta. Torre was fired after the 1984 season.

St. Louis Cardinals (1990–1995)

Torre in 1995.

Torre became the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1990. The Cardinals had winning records in three of his four full seasons there. In 1991, they finished second in their division. His best record with the Cardinals was 87 wins and 75 losses in 1993. Torre was fired in June 1995.

New York Yankees (1996–2007)

Joe Torre's most famous time as a manager was with the New York Yankees. He managed the team for twelve seasons. He led the Yankees to the playoffs every single year. They won six American League championships and four World Series titles. Torre is tied for the second-longest time as a Yankees manager. He is also the only Yankees manager born in New York City.

A Dynasty of Wins

Joe Torre (left) with George W. Bush and Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly before Game 3 of the 2001 World Series.

When Torre first became the Yankees manager, some people in the New York media were not happy. They called him "Clueless Joe" because he hadn't won a playoff game before. But Torre quickly proved them wrong.

In 1996, he led the Yankees to their first World Series since 1981. They defeated the Atlanta Braves and won the championship. This success earned him a new, better contract. He was also named Manager of the Year.

On April 30, 1997, Torre won his 1,000th game as a manager. The Yankees made the playoffs again but lost in the first round.

From 1998 to 2000, the Yankees won three World Series in a row! The 1998 team was especially amazing. They won 114 regular-season games, which was an American League record at the time. They also won a total of 125 games including the playoffs. Many people consider the 1998 Yankees one of the best baseball teams ever. Torre won his second Manager of the Year award that year.

In 1999, a Yankees pitcher, David Cone, threw a perfect game on Torre's 59th birthday. This was the second perfect game a team managed by Torre had thrown. The Yankees also won their second straight World Series that year.

In 2002, Torre reached 1,500 wins as a manager. In 2004, the Yankees had a tough loss. They were up 3-0 in the American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox. But they lost the next four games and the series. This was the first time a team had lost a series after being up 3-0.

Torre after visiting the mound during a 2005 game

The Yankees continued to win their division in 2005 and 2006. In 2007, Joe Torre achieved a special milestone. He became the first person to win 2,000 games as a manager and also have 2,000 hits as a player. He led the Yankees to their 13th straight playoff appearance.

Torre with Don Mattingly in 2007

After the 2007 season, the Yankees offered Torre a new contract. He decided not to accept it, and his time as Yankees manager ended.

Los Angeles Dodgers (2008–2010)

On November 1, 2007, Joe Torre became the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. This was a return to the National League for him. He grew up in Brooklyn when the Dodgers played there.

In 2008, Torre led the Dodgers to win the National League West title. This was his 13th playoff appearance in a row. The Dodgers won their first playoff series since 1988. In 2009, the Dodgers had the best record in the National League. They won their first playoff series but lost in the next round.

On September 17, 2010, Torre announced he would step down as Dodgers manager after the season. His former bench coach, Don Mattingly, took over as manager. Torre's final game as a manager was on October 3, 2010.

Life After Managing

Broadcasting Career

Before managing the Yankees, Torre worked as a television commentator. From 1985 to 1990, he was a color commentator for the California Angels. He also worked for NBC's Game of the Week.

Working for Major League Baseball

After his managing career, Joe Torre wanted to stay involved in baseball. In 2011, he accepted a job helping the Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig. He became the Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations. His job was to be the main link between the Commissioner's office and all the teams' general managers and managers. He also helped with rules, on-field actions, and umpires. In 2014, his title changed to Chief Baseball Officer.

In 2015, Torre started talking with players and staff about umpiring and instant replay. He wanted to help improve the game. In 2020, he became a special assistant to the Commissioner.

Achievements and Honors

Torre at Dodger Stadium, May 2010

Joe Torre has been an All-Star 15 times in total, as a player or a manager.

In 2014, the Yankees retired his uniform number 6. They also honored him with a plaque in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. In 2016, the Cardinals inducted Torre into their Hall of Fame. In 2022, the Atlanta Braves inducted him into their Hall of Fame.

Legacy in Baseball

In his 18-year playing career, Joe Torre played in 2,209 games. He had 2,342 hits and a .297 batting average. He hit 252 home runs and had 1,185 RBIs. He was a nine-time All-Star. He won an MVP award, a batting title, and an RBI title. He also won a Gold Glove Award as a catcher. Baseball experts rank him as one of the best catchers of all time.

As a manager, Torre led his teams to 14 World Series wins in a row from 1996 to 2000. He also led his teams to 14 consecutive playoff appearances.

Awards and Honors Received

General reference:

Awards

• 2× Associated Press Manager of the Year (1982, 1998)
• 2× BBWAA American League Manager of the Year (1996, 1998)
• Hutch Award (1971)
• 15× Major League Baseball All-Star
  • 9× as a player (1963–67, 1970–73)
  • 6× as a manager (1997, 1999–2002, 2004)
• National League Most Valuable Player Award (1971)
• 2× National League Player of the Month Award (May 1965, August 1971)
• Rawlings Gold Glove Award at catcher (1965)
• Sporting News Major League Baseball Player of the Year Award (1971)

Accomplishments

• 5th all-time in MLB history in managerial wins
• Only major leaguer with 2,000 hits as a player and 2,000 wins as a manager

Film and Television Appearances

Joe Torre has appeared in several movies and TV shows. He was in the 1990 film Taking Care of Business. He also appeared as himself in a 1996 episode of Cosby.

In a 1997 TV movie about his life, Joe Torre: Curveballs Along the Way, he was played by actor Paul Sorvino. Torre also voiced the "Voice of the Yankees' Manager" in the 2006 animated movie Everyone's Hero.

He appeared in commercials for Subway and State Farm Insurance. He was a guest on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien and appeared on Sesame Street and Castle. He was also in the 2002 comedy Analyze That. In 2022, he was featured in The Captain, a documentary about Derek Jeter.

Other Interests

Thoroughbred Horse Racing

Joe Torre loves thoroughbred horse racing. He has owned parts of several racehorses. One of his horses, Game On Dude, was a very successful racehorse. He also owned part of Sis City, who won a big race in 2005.

Books

Torre has written several books. His autobiography, Chasing the Dream, came out in 1997. He also wrote an advice book called Joe Torre's Ground Rules for Winners. In 2009, he released The Yankee Years, which tells about his time managing the New York Yankees.

Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation

In 2002, Joe Torre and his wife Ali started the Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation. The foundation works to educate people about and prevent domestic violence.

The foundation has a special program called Margaret's Place. It's named after Torre's mother, Margaret. Joe Torre grew up in a home where he felt unsafe. He wanted to help other children who might be going through similar situations.

Margaret's Place provides a safe room in schools where students can talk with a professional counselor. These counselors are trained to help kids understand the effects of domestic violence. The program also works to raise awareness about anti-violence in schools.

Personal Life

Joe Torre has a son, Michael, from his first marriage. He has two daughters, Lauren and Cristina, from his second marriage. In 1987, he married his third wife, Alice (Ali) Wolterman. They have a daughter named Andrea.

His older brother, Frank Torre, was also a Major League Baseball player. Joe Torre was treated for prostate cancer in 1999 and recovered.

In 2005, Joe Torre carried the Olympic Flame in Florence, Italy, for the 2006 Winter Olympics. As of 2020, Joe Torre and his wife live in Harrison, New York.

Images for kids

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  Torre in 2015

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  Torre in 1982

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  Torre in 1995.

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  Joe Torre (left) with George W. Bush and Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly on the field at Yankee Stadium before Game 3 of the 2001 World Series.

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  Torre after visiting the mound during a 2005 game

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  Torre with Don Mattingly in 2007

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  Torre as the Dodgers' manager, April 6, 2008

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  Torre at Dodger Stadium, May 2010