Finally!

I mean, it’s just a formality at this point because half of the pitching staff was already in Tampa getting ready for the season but now it’s the official start of Spring Training.

I feel like doing a happy dance because this means the season is almost upon us but I’ll spare you all from that and put a gif of Tina Fey dancing into the post instead.

So the pitchers and catchers will be reporting for work, Derek Jeter will continue to rehab from his ankle surgery – he started running yesterday, and we will begin to see pictures other than port-a-potty shots from the beat writers!

Oh happy day!

We’re now at the point when you count on one hand how many days are left until the official start of Spring Training. The number we’ve reached is 4 and the person we’re honoring is the Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig.

And now, we’ve reached the number that was on the back of the man who gave us the quote for which this site was named. Joseph Paul Torre.

Torre arrived in New York after skipper Buck Showalter famously returned his contract offer to the Yankees, unsigned. George Steinbrenner didn’t see that as a negotiation tactic, he saw it as Showalter saying, ‘No,’ to the Yankees. Steinbrenner reached out to Torre who had been manager of the St. Louis Cardinals from 1990-1995 and Torre accepted the Yankees’ offer to manage the ball club.

After Torre was named manager, fans and media alike chided the Yankees’ decision. He was even called “Clueless Joe” on the back page of the NY tabloids.

Of course, as we all know, “Clueless Joe” had the last laugh.

Torre’s tenure as manager ended up being the second-longest in team history behind Joe McCarthy. In the 12 seasons with Torre at the helm, the Yankees went 1173–767, they made the playoffs every season and they won six pennants and four World Series titles.

Things may have ended in a negative light, with Torre rejecting the Yankees’ contract offer in 2007 and with Torre writing a book about his years with the Yankees but with the passage of time, Torre has made appearances at the Stadium and has been welcomed back with open arms.

One of his first appearances was in September 2010 when he and other Yankee luminaries of the past returned to Yankee Stadium to pay their respects to the Boss, George Steinbrenner who passed away in July 2010. It was the night the Yankees were unveiling a monument in the Boss’ honor and when Torre was shown on the big screen in center field, he received a loud ovation. He returned the next season for Old Timers’ Day and has been back every year since.

Mickey Charles Mantle 1931-1995

When I posted #37 way back in the countdown, I decided to share some funny Casey Stengel quotes. Now that we are up to #8, there was no way I could post about Yogi Berra and not include his more famous quotes. Right?

Well, I’ve done that and I included a brief piece I wrote about Yogi last July.

Enjoy!

***

“Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical.”

“Bill Dickey is learning me his experience.”

“All pitchers are liars or crybabies.”

“A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.” Source: Baseball Digest (June 1987)

“He hits from both sides of the plate. He’s amphibious.”

“I can see how he (Sandy Koufax) won twenty-five games. What I don’t understand is how he lost five.”

“I don’t know (if they were men or women fans running naked across the field). They had bags over their heads.”

“If people don’t want to come out to the ballpark, how are you going to stop them?”

“How can a you hit and think at the same time?”

» Continue reading “Countdown: 8 Days Until Spring Training”

Get excited, everyone! We’re into the single digits.