New York Yankees History: Yankees Hire Joe Torre
By David Hill
Joe Torre went from being a run of the mill manager to a legend with the New York Yankees. He was hired by the Yankees on this day in 1995.
In 1995, the New York Yankees made the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. Capturing the American League Wild Card, they faced off against the Seattle Mariners, taking a 2-0 lead in the best of five series before falling to the AL West champions. That collapse led to the inevitable – George Steinbrenner fired Buck Showalter, and looked to find another manager who could deliver a title.
In what appeared to be a rather underwhelming hire, the Yankees found their man on this day. Joe Torre, who had a career 894-1003 record in 14 years as a manager, was handed the reigns of a team with championship aspirations. Needless to say, as Torre had one postseason appearance on his resume, his hiring was not exactly greeted with enthusiasm.
However, much like another great New York Yankees manager, Casey Stengel, Torre found his magical touch in pinstripes. Not only did the Yankees get back to the postseason, but they won the World Series in his first season, overcoming their own 2-0 deficit to the Atlanta Braves, one of Torre’s former teams.
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That World Series title in 1996 was just the beginning. After losing in the American League Divisional Series in 1997, the Yankees cemented their place as the Team of the 1990’s. They won three consecutive titles, and fell just one game short of four in a row when Luis Gonzalez had his game winning hit against Mariano Rivera in 2001.
It also began a run of success for the Yankees that made them the envy of every team in baseball. During Torre’s twelve years in the Bronx, the Yankees made the postseason every season. Not a bad stretch for a manager who had been a failure at every other stop along the way.
Understandably, Torre was honored by the Yankees after he retired. His number 6 was retired on August 23, 2014, as he was given a plaque in Monument Park amongst the Yankees immortals. Considering how he helped the Yankees become the “Evil Empire,” far exceeding even the loftiest of expectations, it was well deserved.
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On this day in 1995, the New York Yankees signed Joe Torre to be their manager. As it turned out, that was one of the best moves of the decade.