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12/12/2007 10:00 AM ET
Torre earns TYIB Manager of Year nod
Former Yankees skipper led team to reverse of early slide
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com











NEW YORK -- In a sense, Joe Torre has followed in the path of the baseball team that preceded him from the borough of Brooklyn 50 years ago, departing New York City to land in Los Angeles with the Dodgers.
But while the pinstripes have been packed away, Torre's contributions to spur on his Yankees in 2007 have not been forgotten. Torre has been selected as the Manager of the Year in MLB.com's annual This Year In Baseball Awards.

Torre won the award in fan voting, which was conducted exclusively at MLB.com.

Even though the Yankees were eliminated from the American League Division Series in four games by the Cleveland Indians, eventually leading to a turn of events that placed Torre in Los Angeles and Joe Girardi at the Yankees' helm for 2008, the results Torre got out of his team over the latter part of the 162-game schedule were remarkable.

Contrast that early playoff exit with the Yankees' state in late May. The Yankees were in Toronto for a three-game road series to finish the month, flailing through an early-season slide that saw them hit a season-low 14 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox on May 29.

Indeed, if not for Alex Rodriguez doing the heavy lifting, it seemed at times that the Yankees wouldn't score very many runs at all. And they needed every single one, especially while asking a seemingly endless parade of rookies to will their way to outs.

Wherever the Yankees were headed that day, it wasn't October.

Torre's response was to shutter the clubhouse doors at Rogers Centre, unleashing a verbal assault on his club that ranked among the most heated during his 12-year tenure as Yankees manager. Torre may be able to boast four World Series and six American League pennants on his resume, but that day, he was running out of options.

Andy Pettitte called it "a good meeting." Doug Mientkiewicz called the words bouncing around the room "embarrassing" and said they "hit you right between the eyes." Derek Jeter knew the Yankees figured out they were a good team that was "just playing bad."

Whatever happened, it worked. The Yankees shook off their 21-29 start and posted the best record in the Major Leagues during the second half, coming back from the All-Star break by reeling off 51 victories in 76 games to clinch the Wild Card.

Having made the playoffs in 12 consecutive seasons under Torre, a new era is ready to dawn in the Bronx, as Torre declined the Yankees' offer of a one-year contract in favor of a three-year pact to take over the reins in Los Angeles.

As Torre adjusts to the West Coast lifestyle once more, having formally accepted his new position from center field at Chavez Ravine, the fans offered him one last award to say farewell to his decade-plus in New York.

As Torre said in October, for him, one of the most important things about managing the Yankees had been recognizing the fans. It would seem that they've returned the favor.

"You could feel their heartbeat," Torre said. "It's a very special place to play baseball and to manage baseball, and just to be a part of the whole Yankees scene. It's been very special and I'll never forget it."

More than 9.6 million votes were cast by fans around the world. Results will be rolled out daily through Dec. 21. Here is the schedule:

• Dec 13: Single-Game Performance
• Dec 14: Rookie
• Dec 17: Hitter
• Dec 18: Setup Man
• Dec 19: Defensive Player
• Dec 20: Blooper/Play
• Dec 21: Moment/Postseason Moment