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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Former Brave Frank Torre dies

Associated Press

NEW YORK – Frank Torre, the World Series star who helped put little brother Joe on a path that led to the Hall of Fame, has died. He was 82.

The Major League Baseball commissioner’s office said Torre died Saturday at a hospice in Palm Beach, Florida. He had previously received heart and kidney transplants, and had been ill in recent years with cancer.

Torre played seven seasons in the majors with the Milwaukee Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. Though he hit only 13 home runs in 1,482 career at-bats in the regular season, he homered twice in 10 at-bats during the 1957 World Series as Milwaukee beat the New York Yankees for its only championship. In Game 7, he drove in a run at Yankee Stadium during the clinching 5-0 victory.

Frank Torre was nearly nine years older than Joe and guided his signing with the Braves and was long his mentor.

Joe Torre starred as a player, won four titles while managing the Yankees and was inducted into the Hall last summer. He’s now an executive with MLB.

Frank Torre was unable to make the trip to Cooperstown, New York, for the Hall ceremonies in July. Joe previously said that among all the great advice he got from his older brother, there was one time he missed – when Frank offered his opinion on going to become manager of the Yankees.

“Frank said I was crazy to take this job,” Joe joked.

In his first season with the Yankees, Joe Torre guided them to the World Series title.

Frank Torre was in the hospital recovering from a heart transplant the day before – Dr. Mehmet Oz assisted on the operation – when he watched the Yankees clinch the crowd.

Torre was with the Braves as they reached the World Series in 1957 and again the next year. In 1958, they lost in seven games to the Yankees.

Torre signed with the Boston Braves and played in their minor league system in 1951 before serving two years in the military. He hit .273 in 714 games in the majors.