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Card: 1969 Topps #460
Position: C/3B/1B
playerbio
Player Bio: Joe Torre
No one had ever taken longer to get to the World Series – 4,272 major-league games as player and manager before his first Series game in 1996.
Brooklyn-born Joe Torre's career began as a player in 1960 with the Milwaukee Braves. He was named to the 1961 Topps All-Star Rookie Team. A nine-time All-Star, Torre won the 1971 National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award after leading the major leagues in batting average, hits, and runs batted in.
He also played for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets until becoming a manager in 1977, when he briefly served as the Mets' player-manager. His managerial career covered 29 seasons, including tenures with the same three clubs for which he played, and the Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, until 2010. From 1984 to 1989, he served as a television color commentator for the California Angels and NBC. After retiring as a manager, he accepted a role assisting the Commissioner of Baseball as the executive vice president of baseball operations.
As manager of the Yankees, he compiled a .605 regular season winning percentage and made the playoffs every year, winning four World Series titles, six American League (AL) pennants, and ten AL East division titles. In 1996 and 1998, he was the AL Manager of the Year. He also won two NL West division titles with the Dodgers for a total of 13 division titles. In 2014, Torre was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Outside of baseball, Torre enjoys horse racing, and owns an interest in several race horses. A few of his horses have competed in the Kentucky Derby over the years.
Joe's brother Frank Torre also played MLB for the Milwaukee Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies.
(excerpted from SABR, BR Bullpen & Wikipedia)
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tourstops
Listen to Larry Baldassaro’s interview with Joe here – or view the Next Stop on the Baseball Italian Style Tour
Joe is part of the New York City Born Player Tour – Go to the Next Stop
Joe is part of the Hall of Fame Player Tour – Go to the Next Stop
Joe is also part of the MVP/Cy Young Tour – Go To The Next Stop
Torre is also part of the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame Tour – Go to the Next Stop
Joe is also part of the MLB Managers Tour – Go to the Next Stop
Joe T is part of the All-Star Player Tour – Go to the Next Stop
Joe is also part of the Braves Players Tour – Go To the Next Stop
“Mr. Torre” is part of the LA/Brooklyn Dodgers Player Tour – Go to the Next Stop
Joe is also part of the New York Yankee Players Tour – Go To the Next Stop
Joe is also part of the St. Louis Cardinals Players Tour – Go to the Next Stop
See all of Joe Torre’s baseball cards at TCDB
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As a kid in the 1960’s, my two favorite players were Hank Aaron & Joe Torre. U would listen to Braves games on the radio, as we only got three channels on our Philco box television. It was the 1970’s before I got to travel to Atlanta to watch Braves games live and Joe had moved on to the Cardinals. But I still followed him and did see him play live once @ Busch stadium. Joe had the perfect battering stance. With his broad shoulders & big hairy forearms. He was a good average hitter with power. He was also a versatile player. He could catch, play third, or first. I thought Turner made a big mistake firing him as the Braves manager. He proved me right, as he went in to manage four World Series with the stinking Yankee’s. R.I.P “Hammerin Hank”, a fellow Alabamian. I was there when Hank hit his last HR as an Atlanta Brave.
Aaron & Torre, such great players and ambassadors for baseball. Class.