Joe Torre- the Player
A whole generation of baseball fans knows Joe Torre, the highly respected and successful manager of the New York Yankees. Joe Torre just recorded his 1,000th win as the skipper of the Bronx Bombers, and has well over 1,800 victories lifetime as a manager. But what many fans do not know is just how good a baseball player Joe Torre was back in the 1960s. He was a player whose talents were borderline Hall of Fame material, and his playing days, combined with his managerial prowess, will certainly gain Joe Torre admittance into Cooperstown someday.
Joe Torre broke in with the Milwaukee Braves on September 25th, 1960, singling in his first plate appearance against Harvey Haddix. His older brother Frank, who had played for the Braves and had a pair of huge home runs in their 1957 World Series defeat of the Yankees, was at the end of his days in Milwaukee. Frank Torre would play his final two years with the Phillies. Joe Torre, who was born in 1940 and was only 19 when he came up, would play in 113 games in 1961. He was second to the Cubs’ Billy Williams in National League Rookie of the Year balloting that year. Joe Torre hit 10 home runs and had 42 RBI to go with his .278 batting average, but he would not become a Braves’ regular until 1963. During that season, Joe Torre played first base as well as catcher, which had been his original position.
Joe Torre would play the majority of his games as a catcher until 1970. In 1964, he had his first big season, as he hit .321 with 20 homers and 109 runs batted in. He finished fifth in NL Most Valuable Player voting and won even greater respect as one of baseball’s premier catchers. Joe Torre was named an All-Star in 1964, to go along with his 1963 honor. In fact, Joe Torre made the National League All-Star team every year from 1963 through 1967 and then from 1970 through 1973, a total of nine times.
In 1965, Joe Torre won his only Gold Glove for fielding excellence as a catcher. He smashed 27 home runs and knocked in 80 runs. His two run home run in the All-Star game was instrumental in the National League’s 6-5 victory. When the Braves left Milwaukee for Atlanta in 1966, Joe Torre saw his power numbers rise. He clobbered his career high of 36 home runs in 1966, and garnered 101 RBI. He had a pair of off years in 1967 and 1968, with a fractured cheekbone in 1968 not helping matters any. However, Joe Torre was about to string together the best three campaigns of his baseball life.
Joe Torre was traded for former National League MVP Orlando Cepeda in 1969, going from the Braves to the St. Louis Cardinals. For the first time in his career, Joe Torre played most of his games as a first baseman, and he was able to respond with 100 RBI seasons in 1969 and 1970. At the age of 30, in 1971, Joe Torre hit .363, poled 24 home runs and accumulated 137 RBI. He was voted the National League MVP Award at season’s end. Joe Torre had led his circuit in hits with 230, RBI, batting average, times on base with 297, and total bases with 352. He spent the entire year at third base, a testament to his skills. For the remainder of his career, Joe Torre would play first and third base, never catching another game in the majors.
Joe Torre would never come close to duplicating his MVP performance of 1971, but he still hit in the .280s for three more seasons as a Cardinal. On June 27th, 1973, Joe Torre collected a single, double, triple, and home run as he hit for the cycle. The Cards dealt him to the Mets in October of 1974, where Joe Torre finished his career. When all was said and done, Joe Torre had a lifetime batting average of .297, with almost 300 round trippers and nearly 1200 RBI in 18 seasons. He became the Mets’ manager in 1977, took over Atlanta in 1982, and guided the Cardinals for 5 plus seasons beginning in 1990. He was an unpopular choice when George Steinbrenner named him the Yankees manager in November of 1995, but since that day, Joe Torre has proven to be an astute handler of personalities and egos, which has allowed him to practically take over the Big Apple.
An example of Joe Torre’s selfless character, which all of New York has seen displayed for the past ten years, took place in the game back in 1973 when he hit for the cycle. Needing only a single to complete the rare feat, Torre walked in the eighth inning and asked manager Red Schoendienst to have somebody pinch run for him. But Red ignored Joe Torre’s request and left Torre in, and he singled in the ninth to achieve the cycle.
Joe Torre broke in with the Milwaukee Braves on September 25th, 1960, singling in his first plate appearance against Harvey Haddix. His older brother Frank, who had played for the Braves and had a pair of huge home runs in their 1957 World Series defeat of the Yankees, was at the end of his days in Milwaukee. Frank Torre would play his final two years with the Phillies. Joe Torre, who was born in 1940 and was only 19 when he came up, would play in 113 games in 1961. He was second to the Cubs’ Billy Williams in National League Rookie of the Year balloting that year. Joe Torre hit 10 home runs and had 42 RBI to go with his .278 batting average, but he would not become a Braves’ regular until 1963. During that season, Joe Torre played first base as well as catcher, which had been his original position.
Joe Torre would play the majority of his games as a catcher until 1970. In 1964, he had his first big season, as he hit .321 with 20 homers and 109 runs batted in. He finished fifth in NL Most Valuable Player voting and won even greater respect as one of baseball’s premier catchers. Joe Torre was named an All-Star in 1964, to go along with his 1963 honor. In fact, Joe Torre made the National League All-Star team every year from 1963 through 1967 and then from 1970 through 1973, a total of nine times.
In 1965, Joe Torre won his only Gold Glove for fielding excellence as a catcher. He smashed 27 home runs and knocked in 80 runs. His two run home run in the All-Star game was instrumental in the National League’s 6-5 victory. When the Braves left Milwaukee for Atlanta in 1966, Joe Torre saw his power numbers rise. He clobbered his career high of 36 home runs in 1966, and garnered 101 RBI. He had a pair of off years in 1967 and 1968, with a fractured cheekbone in 1968 not helping matters any. However, Joe Torre was about to string together the best three campaigns of his baseball life.
Joe Torre was traded for former National League MVP Orlando Cepeda in 1969, going from the Braves to the St. Louis Cardinals. For the first time in his career, Joe Torre played most of his games as a first baseman, and he was able to respond with 100 RBI seasons in 1969 and 1970. At the age of 30, in 1971, Joe Torre hit .363, poled 24 home runs and accumulated 137 RBI. He was voted the National League MVP Award at season’s end. Joe Torre had led his circuit in hits with 230, RBI, batting average, times on base with 297, and total bases with 352. He spent the entire year at third base, a testament to his skills. For the remainder of his career, Joe Torre would play first and third base, never catching another game in the majors.
Joe Torre would never come close to duplicating his MVP performance of 1971, but he still hit in the .280s for three more seasons as a Cardinal. On June 27th, 1973, Joe Torre collected a single, double, triple, and home run as he hit for the cycle. The Cards dealt him to the Mets in October of 1974, where Joe Torre finished his career. When all was said and done, Joe Torre had a lifetime batting average of .297, with almost 300 round trippers and nearly 1200 RBI in 18 seasons. He became the Mets’ manager in 1977, took over Atlanta in 1982, and guided the Cardinals for 5 plus seasons beginning in 1990. He was an unpopular choice when George Steinbrenner named him the Yankees manager in November of 1995, but since that day, Joe Torre has proven to be an astute handler of personalities and egos, which has allowed him to practically take over the Big Apple.
An example of Joe Torre’s selfless character, which all of New York has seen displayed for the past ten years, took place in the game back in 1973 when he hit for the cycle. Needing only a single to complete the rare feat, Torre walked in the eighth inning and asked manager Red Schoendienst to have somebody pinch run for him. But Red ignored Joe Torre’s request and left Torre in, and he singled in the ninth to achieve the cycle.
