Joe Torre
Special Assistant to the Commissioner of Major League Baseball
Hall of Famer Joe Torre was named a Special Assistant to Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. in February 2020. Torre serves as a liaison to the general managers and field managers of the 30 Major League Clubs and the Major League Umpires. From 2011-2014, Torre was MLB’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations under Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. In 2015, he became MLB’s Chief Baseball Officer under Commissioner Manfred.
Torre, a manager for 29 seasons, ranks fifth all-time with 2,326 managerial wins. He led the New York Yankees to four World Series Championships, six American League pennants and 12 Postseason appearances in his 12 years (1996-2007) as manager. The two-time AL Manager of the Year also led the New York Mets (1977-81), the Atlanta Braves (1982-84), the St. Louis Cardinals (1990-95) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2008-10), Torre made his managerial debut with the Mets on May 31, 1977, becoming the first player-manager in the Majors since 1959. In 2013, he managed Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. In 2017, he served as the general manager for WBC Champion Team USA.
During his 18-year playing career with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1960-68), the Cardinals (1969-74) and the Mets (1975-77), the nine-time All-Star compiled a .297 batting average, 2,342 hits and 252 home runs. He was the National League’s 1971 Most Valuable Player, batting .363 with 24 home runs and a league-leading 137 RBI.
On December 9, 2013, the National Baseball Hall of Fame announced that its Expansion Era Committee had unanimously elected Torre to its Class of 2014. Torre was inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 27, 2014 in Cooperstown. On August 23, 2014, Torre’s number six was retired by the Yankees, making him the 17th individual to receive such an honor at that time.
Torre is the Chairman of the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation (joetorre.org), which he and his wife, Ali, launched in 2002. The Safe At Home Foundation’s mission is to develop educational programs that will end the cycle of domestic violence and save lives. Since its inception, the Foundation has educated thousands of students, parents, teachers and school faculty about the devastating effects of domestic violence.
Torre is the co-author of three books: The Yankee Years (Doubleday 2009); Joe Torre’s Ground Rules for Winners (Hyperion 1999); and Chasing the Dream (Bantam 1997, 1998). Torre was born on July 18, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York. He, Ali and their daughter, Andrea, live in New York. His three adult children are Michael, Cristina and Lauren.