Torre Gives Credit to Yankee Tradition

When Joe Torre was hired as Yankee manager in November 1995, the New York tabloids ridiculed his then less-than-stellar resume. One tab ran an unflattering photo of Torre, who is far from the most photogenic person in the world, under a headline that screamed “CLUELESS JOE.”

Four years and two World Series titles later, Torre is the Toast of the Tabs.

These things happen when you win 400 games faster than any other Yankee manager in history.

Still, Torre deflects such praise. Rather, he points to the organization’s reputation as cause for celebration.

“It’s what they’ve done here the last 80 years--24 world championships is pretty impressive. [The history and tradition] happened before the last few years,” Torre said. “When you wear this uniform, you’re thinking World Series. And it’s a nice feeling because the player feels like even if you win your division series and then your league championship series, it’s like we still haven’t gotten to where our goal is. So it definitely has something to do with wearing the Yankee uniform because of all those flags that are . . . flying.”

While Torre’s detractors say that anyone could have managed the talent-rich Yankees to similar success the past few years, his supporters contend his best job was this year, a season of distractions in which the Yankees still finished with the league’s best record for the second consecutive year.

Consider: New York endured the trade of postseason pitching hero David Wells, a double-pronged comeback attempt by Darryl Strawberry--from colon cancer and a 90-day suspension after being arrested on drug and solicitation charges--and the deaths of Yankee legends Joe DiMaggio and Catfish Hunter.

Plus, Torre missed nearly two months to start the year after his own battle with prostate cancer.

It made for an emotional day when the Yankees clinched their third American League East title in four years.

“The players are the ones that get me choked up because they’ve worked hard and had to put up with a lot of distractions that were caused by my illness early in the year,” Torre said.

“Having my illness in the spring, having the cancer, definitely changed my perspective,” he added. “It sort of put things in better perspective for me. Life or death is really life or death.”

Just read the tabloids.

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Sitting in the Yankee dugout, New York bench coach Don Zimmer was struck in the head by a screaming line-drive foul ball off the bat of Chuck Knoblauch in the fifth inning.

Zimmer, 68, was laid out by the shot and had to be helped back to the Yankee clubhouse for observation.

Less than 15 minutes later, however, Zimmer was back. He sustained an abrasion on his jaw and ear.