Joe Torre

Biography

Joe Torre was named manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers on November 1, 2007, becoming the 26th manager in team history. Prior to the joining the Dodgers, Torre spent the past twelve seasons as manager of the New York Yankees. Torre has led the Dodgers to the National League Championship Series in both 2008 and 2009.

In becoming the 31st manager in Yankees team history, he joined Casey Stengel, Yogi Berra and Dallas Green as the fourth skipper to wear both Yankee and New York Met uniforms. The Yankees made the playoffs every year under his tenure. He led the Yankees to 6 World Series appearances during the 12 year span, winning 4 World Series Championships, most recently in 2000.

The 2000 title was 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 RBIs 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 RBIs 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 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 became 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 three books: Chasing the Dream: My Lifelong Journey to the World Series (Bantam 1997,1998), a memoir, the inspirational management guide, Joe Torres Ground Rules for Winners: 12 Keys to Managing Team Players, Tough Bosses, Setbacks, and Success (Hyperion 1999); and The Yankee Years (Doubleday 2009).

Torre is a sought after keynote speaker and has spoken for Fortune 500 companies across the country. He has also served as a spokesperson for many companies, including Chase, American General Financial Group, VISA, Amgen, and Continental Airlines. He currently works with JH COHN, an accounting and management consulting company, and Bigelow Tea.

In 2002, Torre and his wife, Ali, launched the Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation (www.joetorre.org), whose mission is to end the cycle of domestic violence and save lives.

Torre was born July 18, 1940, in Brooklyn, New York. He and his wife reside in California. They have four children.

Titles

Dealing with Setbacks, Building Teams: Drawing on his years of experience in the corporate mcrocosm that is professional baseball, Joe Torre shares his wisdom on the universal concerns of all managers – handling tough bosses, dealing with both setbacks and success, earning the trust and respect of the team, and forging a diverse group of individuals into a cohesive unit with a willingness to make the sacrifices necessary to win.

Down-to-Earth Leader: Torre led one of the most fabled franchises in sports history, the New York Yankees. During his tenure, the team won six American League Pennants and four World Series Championships. For all of his success, Torre remains down to earth, good-humored and practical in his approach to leadership and success.

A Winning Outlook: Perhaps there’s no job in sports more rife with pressure than being the manager of the New York Yankees, an organization rich in both a winning tradition and controversy. Torre’s invaluable insights regarding managing in such a stressful environment are not only entertaining – they provide listeners with the tools they need to develop a winning outlook and to get the most out of themselves and others.