Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul "Joe" Torreis an American professional baseball executive, serving in the capacity of Major League Baseball'schief baseball officer since 2011. A former player, manager and television color commentator, Torre ranks fifth all-time in MLB history with 2,326 wins as a manager. With 2,342 hits during his playing career, Torre is the only major leaguer to achieve both 2,000 hits and 2,000 wins as a manager. From 1996 to 2007, he was the manager of the New York Yankees, whom...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionAthlete
Date of Birth18 July 1940
CountryUnited States of America
I've talked to him all year about thinking small, and big things will happen. When you're fighting for a pennant, everybody here will remember that at-bat (on Saturday) rather than a two-run home run when you're up by six runs. I don't think he would have done that last year because he would have been trying to do something bigger.
I've talked to Bernie and I think he's comfortable with it. Emotionally, he is fine with it. It is just that the last day of July was the day it had to be done. It was in his contract.
Things like that happen. That's why baseball is so unpredictable. You don't play it by the clock. You can't freeze the ball. You have to get every single out, and every single one of those outs, especially the last five or six, are very tough to get.
Randy was excellent. The last two times out he's been lighting it up.
When you're down to 20 games left, it's hugely important. Knowing we still have control of things with the last three games against these guys, we just have to work very hard between now and then so those games will be significant.
I think his last two outings are the best ones he's had all year. I don't know if he's getting stronger or just feeling better.
I think it will be more comfortable for him. I think that's been from Spring Training all the way through. It's been less hectic than last year.
But we understand what they did to us last time.
If we had tied it last night, I would have brought him in for the ninth inning, even though that's something I don't like to do. The need to get him in a game is important.
I have a feeling I'm going to make all the phone calls. I'm not going to hesitate doing that, because I learned my lesson last year. I don't call him because I need to get support; I just think it's important to stay up to date.
That lacked respect last night. Winning and losing had nothing to do with it. I just thought it was time to acknowledge what he's done here.
It's been an upside down time for him over the last week or so. He's not going to back away from a challenge, he just wasn't as sharp as he could have been.
It was a decision I felt I had to make. Certainly, it wasn't popular, and the last thing I wanted to do was go get him. He left a couple pitches up . . .
We're hoping he's healthy. That's No.1, first and foremost. All the reports that we've had is that he's been on a regular routine throwing ? not throwing off the mound, but everything seems to be good. He's a big horse for us. When he was a free agent last year he was at the top of my list. We were fortunate enough to be able to sign him. He just never was right. Mel can tell you, from spring training on he just didn't feel right. It was just something that nagged him all year. Finally we shut him down. Hopefully that stuff is behind him.