Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre surprised the baseball world with the announcement on Friday that he will step down from his position following the season, named Don Mattingly his successor.
Meanwhile, we don’t yet know what Torre’s future plans include. Will he manage again or is this the end of his career?
If this is the last stop for Torre the manager, it has certainly been an interesting one. Torre, of course, is best known for the four titles he won with the New York Yankees. But is he a great manager? Is he a Hall of Famer?
Torre was once dubbed “clueless Joe” as he had a .471 winning percentage prior to 1996, with only one division title.
However, since then Torre has compiled a snazzy .590 winning percentage, 12 division titles, six pennants and those four World Series titles.
So, is he a good manager who simply had lousy teams? Or is a lucky guy who came to the Yanks at the right time, with an organization that spends money like a drunken sailor?
Similar to Phil Jackson in the NBA, the answer is probably a little bit of both. It’s not easy to manage a team of stars, yet even a good manager can’t win without talent.
As we go through the list, we compare Torre with the greats of all-time so you can form your own opinion.