The New York Yankees have added their 17th member to Yankee Stadium's Memorial Park. MLB.com's Jake Kring-Schreifels reports that the Yankees officially retired former manager Joe Torre's No. 6 before the Yankees faced the Chicago White Sox Saturday afternoon.
Torre unveiled the number that will find its home in Memorial Park on Sunday, August 24.
He then acknowledged past and present players, coaches and friends -- including Derek Jeter and the late George Steinbrenner and Don Zimmer.
Torre deserves this honor quite well. As the Yankees' manager, he won four World Series titles between 1996 and 2000. The first of those four, in 1996, was also the first championship for the Yankees since 1978 and the first World Series appearance since 1981. After losing in the 1997 ALDS, Torre led the Yankees to three straight World Series titles from 1998-2000. He also won the American League pennant in 2001 and 2003. In all, the Yankees reached the postseason in every one of Torre's twelve seasons as the skipper from 1996-2007.
As the Yankees' manager, Torre had a regular-season record of 1,173-767 (.605), managed six All-Star games and won two A.L. Manager of the Year awards (1996, 1998).
As Kring-Schreifels notes, New York City declared Saturday "Joe Torre Day." In the hearts and minds of long-time Yankee fans, this is just one of many days in which Torre deserves special recognition.