Joe Torre, who led the New York Yankees to four World Series titles, is making his managerial return with Team USA at the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
Torre, 71, won 2,326 games — the fifth-most in Major League Baseball history — over 29 seasons with the Yankees, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers before joining baseball’s front office. He’s been MLB’s executive vice president for baseball operations since 2011.
“I have been fortunate to have many different experiences throughout my career, but being a part of Team USA will be a first, and I am very excited,” Torre said in a statement.
The U.S. team, which has featured major league players including All-Stars Derek Jeter, David Wright, Dustin Pedroia and Evan Longoria, finished sixth at the inaugural WBC in 2006 and was fourth in 2009. Buck Martinez managed the first U.S. team in the WBC, while current Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson led the 2009 squad.
The schedule and venues for the 2013 WBC will be released in the coming weeks, Major League Baseball said. The U.S. is among 12 teams that have qualified for the event, while other nations will advance through regional qualifiers to be held in September and November at four international venues.
Torre played in the majors from 1960-77 and was the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1971.
He managed the Mets from 1977-1981, the Braves from 1982- 1984 and the Cardinals from 1990-95 before joining the Yankees in 1996. He made 12 postseason appearances in as many seasons with the Yankees, winning World Series in 1996 and from 1998 to 2000, before leading the Dodgers to consecutive appearances in the NL Championship Series in 2008 and 2009.
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