Winning: to finish first in a race, contest.
Joe Torre was fired as Mets’ manager at the end of the 1981 season primarily because the club did not win in a market dominated by the Yankees. Torre’s record as Mets’ manager was 286-420 during his 4-½ year tenure. The 420 losses were the most the team had lost under any of its eight managers. When he announced that Torre was fired, general manager Frank Cashen told the media that “We want desperately to win.”
Mets Were Losers Under Torre
The Mets never had a winning season under Torre. It might have been his fault, it might have been because the front office didn’t get him the players, or it might have been that the players didn’t produce, but regardless of the causes, the Mets were losers under Joe Torre.
Torre Managed the Braves
A few weeks later, the Atlanta Braves announced that they had hired Joe Torre as their manager. The Braves went on to win the Western Division title in 1982 but the Cardinals swept Torre’s Braves in the playoffs. In 1983, the Braves finished second, 3 games behind the Dodgers, and in 1984, they failed to play .500 baseball, winning 80 and losing 82. After the season, Torre was relieved of his managerial duties.
Winning Was the Worst Thing
Torre said the Braves’ owner Ted Turner felt that “We had reached a point and sort of stagnated there. He feels they are capable of winning and I have to agree with him. Probably the worst thing that happened to me was winning the first year we here because you got people’s mouths watering for what’s next and we really never got to that next plateau.”
The Cardinals Fired Torre
From 1985-1990, Torre analyzed Angels’ games from the broadcast booth and in August 1990, he took over as Cardinals’ manager, replacing interim skipper Red Schoendienst. The Cards finished second in 1991 and third the next two years. In 1994, the first year there were three divisions in each league, the Cardinals finished tied for third in the Central Division with a 53-61 record. In 1995,when Torre’s team started 20-27, he was fired for the third time in his career. His teams were 894-1,003.
Torre Becomes Yankees' Manager and Meets With La Russa
On November 3, 1995, it was reported that Yankees’ owner, Boss Steinbrenner was so anxious for Joe Torre to manage his team that no other candidates were interviewed to be Buck Showalter’s replacement. “This is a once in a lifetime situation,” said Torre. “For Billy Martin it wasn’t, but it is for me.” Two weeks after becoming the Yankees’ manager, Torre met with the new Cardinals’ manager, Tony La Russa to discuss what it would be like to manage in the “other” league. Torre spent his entire career in the National League while La Russa had spent his managing in the junior circuit with Oakland and Chicago.
World Champions in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000.
The Yankees were World Champions under Torre in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000. In 1997 they were ousted in the first playoff round. They won the pennant in 2001, but suffered one of the most agonizing of all World Series defeats against Arizona.
Losses Starting in 2001
In 2002, the Angels beat the Yankees in the first round. In 2003, the Marlins beat the Yankees in the World Series. In 2004, the Yankees lost to the Red Sox after leading them, 3 games to none, the most ignominious defeat in baseball history. In 2005, the Angels beat the Yankees in the first round. In 2006, the Tigers beat the Yankees in the first round. In 2007, the Indians beat the Yankees in the first round.
Why Not the Yankees?
The Mets fired Joe Torre for not winning. The Braves fired Joe Torre for not winning. The Cardinals fired Joe Torre for not winning. Until 2000, the Yankees didn’t fire Joe Torre because he was winning. He hasn’t won since 2000. Why haven’t they fired Joe Torre?
References:
- Chass, Murray. "Managers in a Different League." New York Times. 19 November 1995, p.S3
- Curry, Jack. "Yet Another Era Begins as the Yankees Hire Torre." New York Times. 3 November 1995, p.B11.
- Durso, Joseph. "Torre is Dismissed by Mets." New York Times. 5 October 1981, p.A1
- "Braves Drop Torre." New York Times. 2 October 1984, p.B9
