We received a special thrill at the Hall of Fame today: the chance to meet a man named Joe Torre. Newly elected to Cooperstown last December, Torre and his wife Ali visited the Hall today and met with staff as part of his orientation for Hall of Fame Weekend. About 50 Hall staffers lined the perimeter of the Halls Learning Center, listening intently as Torre spoke off the cuff about his career and his journeys through the game. Afterwards Torre shook hands with each staffer and took pictures with anyone who requested one. I shook hands with the new Hall of Famer and offered him congratulations on his deserving election. Here is my favorite card of Torre. It’s a 1970 Topps card that shows him stretching to receive an imaginary throw on the sidelines. In case you’re wondering about No. 48 in the background, that’s young Cardinals right-hander Mike Torrez, all six feet, five inches and 220 pounds of him. One year after this card came out, Torre put up one of the most remarkable (and underrated) achievements of the last 50 years. Adjusting to a new fulltime position at third base, he batted an incredible .363 for the Cardinals to win the National League batting title. Let’s remember this was 1971, when pitchers still held the advantage over hitters. And let’s also consider that Torre ran like an anvil on wheels; he merited just about every one of those hits by consistently smacking line drives over infielder’s heads and into the outfield gaps. Few of his 230 hits came via bunt singles or cheap infield hits; they were EARNED. As much as Torre accomplished as a manager (winning four world championships while surviving the wrath of Steinbrenner), he was a highly underrated player who hit for average and power, drew walks, and gave his managers flexibility by starring at three different positions. Few Hall of Famers have combined such a stellar playing career with managerial success. Welcome aboard, Mr. Torre.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 22:36:27 +0000
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