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Chasing the Dream: My Lifelong Journey to the World Series
"Maybe the good Lord was just waiting for me to put on the pinstripes."
When Joe Torre was fired as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1995, he thought his career in baseball was over. After more than three decades and
4,200 games as a player and manager, one thing had always eluded him--winning a World Series.
He had all but given up his dream when the New York Yankees made him an offer to manage their 1996 club. Encouraged by his wife and others, he accepted, and so began one of the greatest seasons in the fabled history of the New York Yankee franchise and one of the most inspiring, heartwarming stories in all of
baseball.
Here is the ultimate insider's record of that unforgettable season by the man whose personal struggles captured the hearts and imaginations of fans
everywhere. Tough, gritty, but always fair and honest, Torre vividly reveals how he turned a potentially volatile mix of talented youngsters such as Andy
Pettitte and Derek Jeter, seasoned veterans like Wade Boggs and Paul O'Neill, and so-called "problem" players like Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden into a cohesive unit that cared more about winning than personal egos. He explains how he played his hunches and earned his team's confidence and respect as he
focused his players from spring training on toward one the World Series. And he did it all in a pressure-filled sports city that expects nothing less
than a champion.
But how he did it is only part of this remarkable story. For at the same time that Torre was overcoming the odds on the field, his family was facing much
greater hardships off the field. He speaks candidly and emotionally of the tragedy of his oldest brother Rocco's sudden death, and the agonizing ordeal of
his other older brother, Frank, who waited for the heart transplant that could save his life. It was his wife, Ali, who gave him the faith to believe
anything was possible. Together with his sisters Rae and Sister Marguerite, a nun from Queens, they dared to dream the impossible. In a fairy-tale ending
not even the best Hollywood scriptwriter could imagine, Frank Torre got his new heart the day before the Yankees won their first World Series championship
since 1978--and Joe Torre won his first ever.
Here is Joe Torre's own story--told for the first time in his own words--from his early childhood in Brooklyn, to his celebrated baseball career playing with the likes of Hank Aaron and Bob Gibson, to his stint as the first native New Yorker ever to manage the Yankees. Offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at a season to remember and a man who went through so much to reach the pinnacle of his profession, Chasing the Dream is more than just another sports
story. It is a poignant reminder of why we love the game--and how, sometimes, nice guys do finish first.
When Joe Torre was fired as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1995, he thought his career in baseball was over. After more than three decades and
4,200 games as a player and manager, one thing had always eluded him--winning a World Series.
He had all but given up his dream when the New York Yankees made him an offer to manage their 1996 club. Encouraged by his wife and others, he accepted, and so began one of the greatest seasons in the fabled history of the New York Yankee franchise and one of the most inspiring, heartwarming stories in all of
baseball.
Here is the ultimate insider's record of that unforgettable season by the man whose personal struggles captured the hearts and imaginations of fans
everywhere. Tough, gritty, but always fair and honest, Torre vividly reveals how he turned a potentially volatile mix of talented youngsters such as Andy
Pettitte and Derek Jeter, seasoned veterans like Wade Boggs and Paul O'Neill, and so-called "problem" players like Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden into a cohesive unit that cared more about winning than personal egos. He explains how he played his hunches and earned his team's confidence and respect as he
focused his players from spring training on toward one the World Series. And he did it all in a pressure-filled sports city that expects nothing less
than a champion.
But how he did it is only part of this remarkable story. For at the same time that Torre was overcoming the odds on the field, his family was facing much
greater hardships off the field. He speaks candidly and emotionally of the tragedy of his oldest brother Rocco's sudden death, and the agonizing ordeal of
his other older brother, Frank, who waited for the heart transplant that could save his life. It was his wife, Ali, who gave him the faith to believe
anything was possible. Together with his sisters Rae and Sister Marguerite, a nun from Queens, they dared to dream the impossible. In a fairy-tale ending
not even the best Hollywood scriptwriter could imagine, Frank Torre got his new heart the day before the Yankees won their first World Series championship
since 1978--and Joe Torre won his first ever.
Here is Joe Torre's own story--told for the first time in his own words--from his early childhood in Brooklyn, to his celebrated baseball career playing with the likes of Hank Aaron and Bob Gibson, to his stint as the first native New Yorker ever to manage the Yankees. Offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at a season to remember and a man who went through so much to reach the pinnacle of his profession, Chasing the Dream is more than just another sports
story. It is a poignant reminder of why we love the game--and how, sometimes, nice guys do finish first.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 30, 2013
It took him 36 years, 4,272 games, but Joe Torre is finally going to the World Series. This fantastic story is about a ten year old boy wishing apon a star. His wish was a trip to October. His love of baseball helps him get through family crises, many marriages, and rough times as a player. It's heartwarming and hilarious. Any baseball fan will love this story.
I loved this book. I enjoyed the separate stories that relate to the situation. The author used good baseball references. I think that his life was told in such a detailed order that you felt like your we're there. It was exciting, especially when the book enters the World Series.
I loved this book. I enjoyed the separate stories that relate to the situation. The author used good baseball references. I think that his life was told in such a detailed order that you felt like your we're there. It was exciting, especially when the book enters the World Series.
February 25, 2025
Wonderful book, read for audiobook by Joe Torre himself. I'm a Braves fan, so the climax of the book (the Yankees comeback win in the 1996 World Series vs. Atlanta) isn't something I'd usually care to re-live. Nevertheless, ex-Brave Joe Torre, who managed the Braves to the post-season in 1982, has always been a personal favorite. I met him once, he's a great guy and he had to wait a long time until his superb talents as a line-up creator, baseball tactician, motivator and leader of men were recognized at long last. And he did it while "managing up" successfully with no less a boss than the Boss himself, George Steinbrenner.
Torre's mano-a-mano managerial battle with Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox in the pivotal game of the 1996 series is a classic and covered in detail here. It's also a wonderful personal story because Torre is honest about his family life. The heart transplant his brother, former WS-winning Braves first baseman Frank, was actually performed in a New York hospital by Dr. Mehmet Oz on the day before the Yankees Game 6 win in New York. In baseball terms, it's great to read about managing a winner the old school way. If you don't know the meaning of BABIP, FIP, and xwOBA+, you won't encounter them here. Recommended for all, required reading for Yankee fans.
Torre's mano-a-mano managerial battle with Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox in the pivotal game of the 1996 series is a classic and covered in detail here. It's also a wonderful personal story because Torre is honest about his family life. The heart transplant his brother, former WS-winning Braves first baseman Frank, was actually performed in a New York hospital by Dr. Mehmet Oz on the day before the Yankees Game 6 win in New York. In baseball terms, it's great to read about managing a winner the old school way. If you don't know the meaning of BABIP, FIP, and xwOBA+, you won't encounter them here. Recommended for all, required reading for Yankee fans.
October 30, 2022
This is a quality memoir from Joe Torre, a Brooklyn-born baseball player, who made it all the way to the major leagues and won a World Series as the manager of the New York Yankees in 1996. The book traces his early days as the younger brother of Frank Torre, a major league player in the late '40's and 50's. Joe did not have it easy during his early years as a ballplayer, through good times and bad (two failed marriages). He consistently talks about his failings as a person and an athlete, but eventually, everything he hopes for is achieved. Well written, with Tom Verducci's assistance.
January 17, 2018
Joe Torre's life is the classic story of true hardship yet incredible success. His life growing up with an abusive Father left a mark on his soul that carries with him through the book. Of course his struggles did not end there as he was labeled "clueless Joe" by many fellow New Yorkers when hired by the Yankees. What a journey he had. From being totally mocked to being the hometown hero who is beloved by every single living Italian baseball fan in NY! Great story from a great guy!
August 25, 2012
It's a book I read quite awhile ago and forgot that I read it. Excellent book and a little more straight forward regarding Torre's life in baseball from his growth years, his career as a catcher and his trials as a baseball manager up to and including his initial years as the Yankees' manager.
I still need to read the follow-up book, which outlines Torre's departure from the Yankees.
I still need to read the follow-up book, which outlines Torre's departure from the Yankees.
August 28, 2012
A great detail about a great career. This book made me really appreciate the art of managing baseball. I always believed the Yankees beat the Braves in the 96 World Series because Joe Torre out managed Bobby Cox. This book confirmed it.
November 13, 2007
This is a good interesting book. Its all about Joe Torre's life as a former Major League Baseball player and a MLB manager trying to get to his life long goal the World Series.
December 9, 2010
Great book for any Yankee fan Torre had to overcome lots of junk in his life to get where he eventually ended up.
January 31, 2012
Another good baseball book about a baseball family.
February 14, 2012
Great book giving the look of his storied career through the Golden Age of baseball. If you like baseball or played yourself this is a great book of what all players dream of attaining.
June 1, 2014
I've read a lot of baseball books over the past 40 years. This one is one of the most boring.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews