Atlanta Braves greatest all-time home run hitters

Braves all-time home run hitters – No. 15: Joe Torre

142 HR

In the 1957 World Series, Torre played in all seven games for the Milwaukee Braves, hitting two homers in the process as the Braves won their second-ever World Championship.

Oh, wait… that was Joe’s older brother Frank Torre!

Yes, when you’re talking about someone named “Torre” in conjunction with Braves baseball, you’d better be sure which brother you’re talking about, for both played – and played for a while – behind the tomahawk.

Frank’s tenure came from 1956 to 1960 in Milwaukee.  Joe Torre shared the field briefly with Frank in 1960 – 2 games – but then Joe became a regular as Frank moved on to the Phillies.

Joe’s time as a Braves then came from late 1960 until the middle of Spring Training in 1969.

At that point, Joe – a catcher and first baseman by trade – had established himself as one of the game’s better players.

In fact, he’d made All-Star teams for five straight years through 1967, was runner-up as Rookie of the Year in 1961, and had MVP vote recognition in three seasons as a Brave.

But the Cardinals and Braves hooked up on a blockbuster 1-for-1 deal in 1969:  Orlando Cepeda came to Atlanta while Torre went to St. Louis.

The Hall of Fame archives suggest this was a deal between a pair of future Hall of Famers that benefited both clubs.  Truth is that St. Louis got more out of Torre – even as they switched his position on the field to third base.

• At the time of the trade:  Torre was 28 years old; Cepeda 31.
• Torre stayed with his new team through 1974; Cepeda was a Brave until part of 1972 and played sparingly in 71-72.
• Torre was a 4-time All-Star afterward; Cepeda was not.
• Torre won the MVP award in 1971.
• Torre with St. Louis:  22.4 bWAR;  Cepeda with Atlanta:  7.9; the pair were essentially equal in 1969.

Cepeda played first base for Atlanta, and with him there – Bob Didier took over behind the plate – the Braves did win the NL West that year before falling to the Amazin’ Mets in the NLCS.  It’s hard not to think that the long-term result would have been better by keeping Torre around.

Joe Torre, of course, has gone on to bigger and better things, and while his career has taken him to Cooperstown, the debate is that he probably got there on the strength of his managerial run as a Yankee.

Frank Torre had just 13 career homers; 12 as a Brave.  Brother Joe mashed 252 taters overall.

The younger brother’s 142-homer tally as a Brave puts him fifteenth on our list.

FOOTNOTE:  At right in the photo above is Tommie Aaron, brother of Hank and Atlanta Braves coach that year.  This would have been just a year prior to Aaron’s untimely passing from leukemia in 1984 at the age of 45.