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
The Tampa situation is difficult. Probably the thing that caused all of it was the fact that we were losing.
We're in a situation where we can't be thinking about holding our own. We have to make an impact. The only way we can do that is by winning the first game.
We're in a pennant race, but the mentality is more of a postseason situation where every game is important enough to win right now, ... We can't be thinking long term.
You never really know until you get in a situation like this how somebody is going to handle it. We couldn't be more pleased, and he had to be proud of himself.
He's come up in situations and you say,
In situations like that, I am. I was so elated for the team, but for this kid . . . We've sent him back and forth to Columbus. He waited for the tap on the shoulder with some of the moves we've made and he didn't get it.
The day I stop expecting good things to happen when he's up in a situation like that is a day that I shouldn't be here. It's surprising when we don't score with the ability we have, but that happens.
The day I stop expecting good things from him in a situation like that is the day I shouldn't be here.
We just want to get home, ... Not many guys have had their families with them the entire time and we want to get back.
When a guy like that goes out there you feel you have the edge.
We had them on the ropes early and couldn't put them away. That's our fault.
We certainly need him in the lineup, whichever way he's better for us. Whichever way is easier for him, that's the way we'll have to go.
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.