Legendary Manager Joe Torre Makes Return at New York Yankees Spring Training Game
New York Yankees southpaw Carlos Rodón was mowing down the Philadelphia Phillies left and right Monday afternoon at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.
The veteran had carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and he didn't let it die there, either. Rodón got another two outs, bringing his number of no-hit frames up to 5.2.
Given that it was a Spring Training contest, though, Rodón was not given the chance to go the distance.
But instead of manager Aaron Boone coming out to give Rodón the hook, a different – albeit familiar – face brought the lefty's day to a close.
Former Yankees manager Joe Torre came marching out of the dugout to meet Rodón and call for a pitching change. The crowd erupted and gave a standing ovation – some of which was to honor Rodón's gem and the rest was to recognize Torre.
The nine-time All-Star, two-time Manager of the Year and Baseball Hall of Famer was wearing his full Yankees uniform when he spoke to Rodón on the mound. The rest of the infielders had smiles plastered across their faces after Torre took the ball from Rodón and called for right-hander Ian Hamilton to relieve him.
Torre was the leading man in New York's clubhouse from 1996 to 2007, winning six AL pennants and four World Series titles during his time in the Bronx. After a brief stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he served as MLB's chief baseball officer from 2011 to 2020.
The 83-year-old Torre had recently stopped by as a guest instructor for the Yankees at their Spring Training facilities.
New York went on to defeat Philadelphia 4-3 with Torre in the dugout, halting a 1-5 stretch in Grapefruit League play in the process.
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