Hi Skip!
The 1977 Mets were 15-30 when Joe Torre took over as manager on May 31, He appeared in two games as a pinch hitter before retiring on June 16, and the Mets finished the season 49-68 with Torre at the helm. He failed to post a winning record with the Mets, and they let him go after the season.
The Atlanta Braves finished fifth in 1981 and wanted to move on from Bobby Cox. They hired Torre to skipper the club, and he responded by taking them to an NL West title and an NLCS clash with the Cardinals.
The Braves won more games under Torre in 1983 and led the division in hitting but finished three games behind the Dodgers in second place. In 1984 the Braves didn’t hit well and slipped under .500 but somehow finished second in the West behind the Padres.
Joe Torre left the Braves with a winning 257-229 record but didn’t return to the dugout until the Cardinals coaxed him back in 1990. They fired him 47 games into the 1995 season; the Yankees hired him in 1996 after Buck Showalter refused to fire four of his coaches and was himself fired.
Torre went on to lead teams that frustrated and tormented the Braves for a decade.
That’s a wrap
Synchronicity dictated that Tony La Russa and Bobby Cox enter the Hall of Fame on the same day as Joe Torre. Torre replaced Cox in 1982, and La Russa became the permanent replacement for Torre in 1996.
It’s appropriate and past time that the Atlanta Braves recognize a man who remains in the top four at his position 25 years after he retired.
Congratulations. Joe. Now about those Yankees . . .