Joe Torre has mended his relationship with the Yankees (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images), to the delight of most Bronx faithful. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Sweeny Murti
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Joe Torre is part of the Yankee family again, this time for good. Torre revealed Thursday that he has been invited back to Yankee Stadium for this year’s Old Timer’s Day (Sunday, June 26th).
From the time of his departure after the 2007 season for a period of nearly three years, Torre was not a welcome figure around the Yankees. His divorce from the team became uglier after publication of his book “The Yankee Years” in 2009. The ice thawed last September when Torre was invited to take part in the special on-field ceremony honoring the late George Steinbrenner, the man who gave Torre the job opportunity that will take him to the Hall of Fame.
On Thursday, it was another step in the healing process as Torre walked back into Steinbrenner Field in Tampa for the first time since October 2007. He walked out of the building that day no longer the manager of the Yankees, the position he held for twelve years.
After meeting with Joe Girardi, Brian Cashman, and some of his former players, Torre—MLB’s new Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations—spoke with reporters about his emotions, his new job, and his old team:
Joe Torre will be eligible for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame at the December 2013 Winter Meetings. That means that in about two and a half years the relationship between Torre and the Yankees will be etched in bronze forever. And the summer after that, uniform #6 will go on the wall where it belongs.
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Sweeny Murti
Yankees@wfan.com
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