On November 2, 1995, the New York Yankees introduced Joe Torre as their new manager, and the back page of the Daily News greeted the news with two words: "Clueless Joe." Torre was 55, he'd been fired by three different organizations, and his career managerial record sat at 894-1,003 -- 109 games under .500. He'd never won so much as a single playoff game. George Steinbrenner had just replaced a manager who'd finally gotten the Yankees back to October with a guy who, by the paper's math, had no business being handed a lineup card in the Bronx.
Twelve years and four rings later, that back page became the funniest thing anybody ever printed about this franchise.
The Résumé Nobody Wanted
Torre's managerial career started with the Mets in 1977 -- he was still an active player when they made him player-manager that May, retiring mid-season to focus on the dugout -- and it didn't go well. Five years, 286-420, nothing but last-place finishes in a town that doesn't do patience.
Atlanta gave him a second life. The 1982 Braves won 13 straight to start the season, took the NL West (the franchise's first division title since 1969), and Torre finally got his shot at October. It lasted three games. St. Louis swept the NLCS -- 7-0, 4-3, 6-2 -- and that was it. Torre managed two more mediocre Braves seasons (88-74, then 80-82) before Atlanta let him go, too.
Then came St. Louis itself, where Torre replaced Whitey Herzog in August 1990 and hung around for parts of six seasons. He had his moments -- an 87-75 record in 1993, his best full year in St. Louis -- but the Cardinals never got out of second or third place, and by June 16, 1995, with the team stumbling to 20-27 and ownership prepping the franchise for sale, ownership had seen enough. Fired again. Torre went home and started watching games on television.
(Here's the part the back page conveniently ignored: this same guy hit .363 with 137 RBI for the 1971 Cardinals, won the NL MVP, and made nine All-Star teams over an 18-year playing career. The man could always play. Managing was the problem, or at least that's what 18 years of evidence said.)
How the Job Opened Up
The Yankees had a vacancy because Don Mattingly's supporting cast had finally dragged the club back to the playoffs in 1995 -- a first postseason trip in 14 years, lost in the ALDS to Seattle -- and Buck Showalter still walked away weeks later. Steinbrenner wanted Showalter to fire hitting coach Rick Down as a condition of a new deal. Showalter wouldn't do it, and on October 26, 1995, the two sides announced they were parting ways.
That left Steinbrenner needing a manager fast, and the man who pushed hardest for Torre was Arthur Richman, a Yankees senior advisor who'd known him since their days together with the Mets in the 1970s. Steinbrenner, reportedly rattled by the terrible early press on the idea, asked Richman point-blank: "Do you know what you're doing?" Richman didn't blink. "If I don't, fire me."
Steinbrenner made the call anyway. Torre got the job on November 2, 1995.
Clueless Joe
Ian O'Connor's column ran that same week under the "Clueless Joe" banner, arguing Torre had no idea what he was walking into. It's hard to blame him for writing it -- the résumé really was that bad, and the Yankees had just fired a manager who'd gotten results. New York tabloids don't do subtlety, and this was, on paper, an easy target.
What the back page couldn't see: Torre's calm was exactly what a young, talent-loaded roster needed. Derek Jeter, who'd gotten a September cup of coffee in 1995, became the everyday shortstop under Torre in his first season. Mariano Rivera was the setup man before he ever got the ninth inning. Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada were still finding their footing. None of that showed up in a win-loss column from St. Louis.
What the Back Page Missed
1996 ended the drought -- the Yankees' first championship since 1978, six games over Atlanta, capped by a comeback from down 0-2 that nobody saw coming. The only year of the run Torre didn't win it all was 1997, an ALDS loss to Cleveland that still stings if you were watching. Then the Yankees didn't lose again for three straight Octobers: 1998 (a 125-win machine that swept San Diego), 1999 (a sweep of the very Braves team that gave Torre his only pre-Yankees playoff appearance), and 2000 (the Subway Series, five games over the Mets). Four titles in five years, off a résumé that had just been declared a freakin' punchline.
Torre stuck around through 2007, finishing 1,173-767 with the Yankees, six pennants, and a playoff berth in every single season he managed the club. Ian O'Connor, to his credit, wrote the follow-up after Game 6 in 1996: "What was funny 11 months ago was fact last night... So we ate our words, bagged our cynicism. If the retraction comes a tad late, we offer it with sincerity." Not a bad way to close the loop.
| Hired | November 2, 1995 |
| Predecessor | Buck Showalter (parted ways October 26, 1995) |
| Age at Hiring | 55 |
| Pre-Yankees Managerial Record | 894-1,003 (109 games under .500) |
| Pre-Yankees Playoff Record | 0-3 (swept in the 1982 NLCS with Atlanta -- his only postseason trip in 18 years) |
| Prior Stops | Mets (1977-81), Braves (1982-84), Cardinals (1990-95) |
| Yankees Tenure | 1996-2007: 1,173-767 (.605), 4 World Series titles, 6 AL pennants |
Cardinals Fire Torre
St. Louis fires Torre with the team at 20-27, part of a rebuild ahead of the Anheuser-Busch sale of the franchise. He's out of a uniform for the rest of the year.
Showalter and the Yankees Part Ways
Buck Showalter leaves after Steinbrenner asks him to fire hitting coach Rick Down as a condition of a new deal. The job Torre will get is now open.
Torre Is Hired
Steinbrenner names Torre Yankees manager on Arthur Richman's recommendation. The Daily News runs "Clueless Joe" on the back page the same week.
Jeter Takes Over at Short
Torre hands the everyday shortstop job to 21-year-old Derek Jeter, who'd debuted in a handful of games the previous September.
First Championship
The Yankees beat Atlanta in six games for their first title since 1978 -- Torre's first ring in 4,110 professional games as a player and manager.
Fourth Title in Five Years
The Yankees beat the Mets in the Subway Series, capping a run of four championships in five seasons under the manager the back page had written off.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Joe Torre hired as Yankees manager?
The Yankees introduced Joe Torre as manager on November 2, 1995, replacing Buck Showalter, who'd parted ways with the club on October 26 after a dispute over his coaching staff. Torre was 55 years old and had been out of a job since the Cardinals fired him that June.
Why was Joe Torre called 'Clueless Joe' by the New York Daily News?
Columnist Ian O'Connor ran "Clueless Joe" on the Daily News back page after the hire, arguing Torre had no idea what he was getting into. The nickname stuck because Torre's résumé backed it up on paper -- a 894-1,003 career managerial record and zero playoff wins across three prior jobs.
What was Joe Torre's managerial record before he became Yankees manager?
Torre went 286-420 with the Mets (1977-81), 257-229 with the Braves (1982-84), and 351-354 with the Cardinals (1990-95), a combined 894-1,003. His only playoff appearance in that span came with the 1982 Braves, who were swept by St. Louis in the NLCS.
Did Joe Torre ever make the playoffs before managing the Yankees?
Once. His 1982 Atlanta Braves won the NL West but were swept 3-0 by the Cardinals in the NLCS. Outside of that season, Torre never managed a team into the postseason across 13 other seasons with the Mets, Braves, and Cardinals -- 14 seasons total before the Yankees hired him.
How did the Yankees do after hiring Joe Torre?
The Yankees won the World Series in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000 -- four titles in five years, with a 1997 ALDS loss to Cleveland as the only miss. Torre went on to manage the club through 2007, finishing 1,173-767 with six AL pennants and a playoff appearance every single season.