Thank you Joe #6

Now that it is official, and Joe Torre is not coming back to the Yankees, I have decided to write this, because I will sincerely miss that man behind the helm.

For as long as I can remember, Joe Torre has always been the manager of the New York Yankees. And that's the way I liked it. It's going to be hard to see the Yankees play without their dedicated skipper on the bench. In many cases, I don't think of him just as the Yankees manager, rather, I think of him as my manager. I love Torre so much, that it is so hard to say goodbye. I about had tears running down my face at the announcement that he turned down his offer. Since becoming a manager in 1977, he has recorded 2,067 wins. He is 9th on the all time managerial wins list.

Joe Torre's managing career didn't start so hot. From 1977 until 1995, he had lost 1,003 career games, as opposed to only 894 wins. When he joined the Yankees in 1996, the New York media shunned him, saying his hiring was a mistake, even calling him "Clueless Joe." Boy were they wrong. In 12 years with the Yankees, Torre compiled these stats:

• Led team to playoffs in each of his 12 years there.
• Compiled 1,173 wins, passing Casey Stengel for number one on the Yankees all-time win list.
• AL Manager of the year in 1996 and 1998.
• Won 10 division titles, including 9 in a row.
• Won 6 pennants.
• Won 4 World Series titles.

In his first five seasons, the Yankees won the World Series 4 times, making them a dynasty. Torre's name will forever be linked to that dynasty, and will always be considered one of the greatest Yankee managers of all time.

Joe Torre was more than just the coach of the Yankees; he was the coach of the Yankee fans. We all knew and felt his heartbreak when his brother Rocco passed away unexpectedaly in the 1996 season. We were all scared and worried when Torre was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer in 1999. When told of that news, many of his players wept. Many fans wept as well. We all prayed for his brother Frank to receive a successful heart transplant, in which he did.

Joe Torre is more than just a manager. He is the favorite man on the bench for Yankee fans. He is the leader of our favorite team, who is doing all he can to get them to victory. It will hurt seeing him in Dodgers blue this year, but as long as he is happy, I will be happy. I will never forget everything he did for the Yankees, and will never condem him for the things he didn't do. He will always be the number 1 Yankees manager in my heart, and will always be the best.

Thank you Joe. For everyting.