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Brooklyns own Joe Torre accepts call to the hall

July 30, 2014 Jim Dolan

Photo by George Napolitano

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Theres a saying in baseball that catchers make the best managers, but not all managers that were catchers make it to Baseballs Hall of Fame.

Growing up in Marine Park, 74-year-old Joe Torre was surprisingly not a Brooklyn Dodger fan, but a New York Giant fan who idolized Willie Mays. As a standout high school player for St. Francis Prep and a top sandlot player for the Brooklyn Cadets at the Parade Grounds, Torre soon got to play against his Giant idol when he joined his older brother Frank as a catcher on the Milwaukee Braves in 1960.

After 18 seasons (1960-1977) as a catcher/third baseman in the National League with the Braves, Cardinals and the Mets, Torre began to manage the Mets early into the 1977 season as a player/manager. Torre ended his playing career as a nine-time All Star, winning one National MVP Award in 1971. He finished with an impressive .297 average along with 252 home runs and 1,885 RBIs.

Torre started out on the rocky road of managing in New York (1977-1981), the season that the Mets tanked and traded away Tom Seaver. After managing stints with his original team, the Braves (1982-1984), Torre managed the Cardinals (1990-1995) before coming to manager the Yankees from 1996 to 2007. Torre finished his managing career with the Dodgers (2008-2010), amassing a winning record of 2,326-1,997 (.538) before accepting a position as the vice president of operations for Major League Baseball.

Coming to the Yankees there was skepticism that Torre could be successful in New York as well as handle the then-contentious owner George Steinbrenner. However, Torre proved all the skeptics wrong, winning the World Series in 1996, the first Yankee title since 1978. After his initial year at the helm, Torre won the World Series in 1998, 1999 and 2000. During his 12 years as Yankee manager, Torre won 10 division titles and six pennants to bring back Yankee dominance to the Bronx.

Always known as a gentlemans manager who respected his players and the game, Torre accepted his Hall of Fame plaque stating, Baseball is a gift. I am very humble, very humble to accept its greatest honor.