RetroSimba

(Updated March 10, 2022)

Cardinals coach George Kissell was the most influential mentor in Joe Torre’s transformation from all-star player to manager.

Torre, who won four World Series titles and six American League pennants as Yankees manager, earned election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Dec. 9, 2013.

The path toward that achievement began when Torre, then a catcher and first baseman, was traded by the Braves to the Cardinals in March 1969 and connected with Kissell.

In his book “Chasing the Dream,” Torre credited Kissell with creating the foundation for his managing career and teaching him a style that helped Torre earn a World Series championship in his first season (1996) with the Yankees.

Torre also said he learned from Red Schoendienst, who managed the Cardinals during Torre’s playing tenure with St. Louis (1969-74).

Successful skippers

Torre, who managed the Mets, Braves, Cardinals, Yankees and Dodgers, joined another former Cardinals manager, Tony La Russa, and fellow manager Bobby Cox in being elected by the Expansion Era committee. La Russa (second at 2,821), Cox (fourth at 2,504) and Torre (fifth at 2,326) rank in the top five in career wins for managers. Connie Mack (3,731) is first and John McGraw (2,763) is third.

A candidate needed 75 percent, or 12, of the votes from the 16-member committee. Hall of Fame managers Whitey Herzog and Tom Lasorda were on the committee.

According to Hall of Fame rules, a candidate must have been a big-league manager for 10 or more years and have been retired for at least five years before he is eligible for election. However, if the retired manager is 65 or older, he becomes eligible just six months after retiring.

Cardinals classics

Torre had been a five-time all-star with the Braves before he was traded to the Cardinals for first baseman Orlando Cepeda on March 17, 1969.

Kissell was a coach on Schoendienst’s staff during Torre’s six seasons as a Cardinals player. He converted Torre into a third baseman with St. Louis.

When Tim McCarver, the catcher for three pennant-winning Cardinals clubs in the 1960s, returned to St. Louis to play in 1973 and 1974, he, Torre and Kissell spent much time together.

In his book, Torre said, “Timmy and I were almost always the first ones at the ballpark … Kissell always was there early, too. The three of us would spend hours talking about baseball. Looking back on it, that’s when I started to get the foundation for my managing career.”

Torre said he and McCarver “talked a lot about managing in those days” and discussed the possibility of operating as co-managers of a team.

“I learned more baseball from George Kissell than from anyone else in my life,” Torre said. “He used to have a great saying: The most important word in the baseball dictionary is why. And that’s pretty much what Timmy, George and I would do. We’d constantly ask ourselves why things had happened in games. Sometimes (Bob Gibson) and (Dal Maxvill) would sit in, too. They were very stimulating and enlightening sessions.”

McCarver, in his book “Few and Chosen,” said of Torre, “I came to know Joe as a man of intelligence, grace and compassion. His knowledge of baseball and his unique people skills made him a good bet to succeed as a manager.”

Lessons learned

Torre cited specific examples of how he was helped by Kissell.

“George showed me how to create runs by stealing bases and moving runners,” Torre related. “He taught me that while running to first base you should run through the bag and not to it. He taught me that outfielders should reposition themselves according to the count on the hitter and not just plant themselves in the same spot.

“And he taught me an unorthodox defense with a runner on third when it’s time to bring the infield in: With a right-handed hitter, and with the count in his favor, you leave your third baseman back at normal depth. That puts pressure on the runner and third-base coach in whether to decide to break for home on a ground ball.”

In an interview with Stan McNeal of Cardinals Magazine, Torre said Kissell “put in the most time with me and I learned the most baseball from him. There were a lot of things I never thought to think about until I associated with Kissell.”

Schoendienst, Torre’s only manager in St. Louis, was “perfect” for the Cardinals, Torre said. Schoendienst’s style helped Torre in his first season with the Yankees.

“As a manager, sometimes you assume a lot _ that your players know what they are supposed to do and that they understand your moves,” Torre said in his book. “Red was able to take that approach because he had such a smart, seasoned bunch. Luckily so did I with the (1996) Yankees. It was the first year that kind of approach worked for me. The Yankees’ professionalism really made me think back to those classy Cardinal teams.”

Torre told Cardinals Magazine that Schoendienst “was definitely an influence for me.”

When Torre managed the Cardinals from 1990-95, Kissell was a Cardinals instructor and Torre had him coordinate the team’s spring training.

“He questioned everything,” Torre said. “He had a favorite line: ‘Joe, who wrote the book?’ And I’d say, ‘Nobody, George. Nobody wrote the book.’ That was George’s way of reminding me that I could make any move I wanted as a manager as long as I had the right reasons for it _ whether it was unpopular or unorthodox.

“That style helped me in the 1996 World Series. I surprised some people with moves like benching Wade Boggs against a right-handed pitcher, letting my pitcher bat in the ninth inning and putting the potential winning run on base intentionally.”