Managers La Russa, Torre, Cox Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

Tony La Russa, Joe Torre and Bobby Cox, who have eight World Series titles among them, were unanimously elected to baseball's Hall of Fame today. Wow, what a  trio!

As a Yankees fan I was most pleased by Torre's appointment. He managed the Bronx Bombers to four World Championships - and almost five. The Yankees lost the 2001 World Series to Arizona in the last at bat in the ninth inning! Torre said it was one of his most memorable games and in the series that stands out as the best. And, they lost. But, that's baseball. You can lose and feel great about how you played.

Torre had nothing but praise for his fellow inductees: "Managing against them, you certainly learned things. I am honored to go into the Hall with these two guys.

La Russa, who was a friend of my best friend and won titles in both the American League (1989 with Oakland) and National League (2006, 2011 with St. Louis), returned the praise to Torre: "Joe taught a lot of us about how to win the right way and lose the right way." I met La Russa at the St. Jude Radiothon orientation several years ago in Memphis. I stepped through a hotel lobby door and it turned out to tbe to the area where celebrities are taken in the back way of the Peabody Hotel. I said, "Hello, Mr. La Russa. You must be the surprise speaker today" He said, "yep" and moved on. Later he gave us in attendance an inspiring talk.

I never met Bobby Cox and I couldn't stand the Atlanta Braves the years he managed them but he was very good at what he did. Not only did he manage the Braves, earleir he had built the team from the ground up as the General Manager. Then, he hired another guy who got the credit and went back to the field! Here's what he said about the show of support from the Hall of Fame's Veterans Committee. "They say when you're voted to the Hall of Fame your life changes," Cox said. "And it has. I've got goose bumps, and it's the greatest honor that we could ever have."

The Veterans Committee ballot is different from the more well-known writers ballot. The Baseball Writers Association of America will choose its 2014 inductees by the end of the month, with a range of options including first-timers Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas and Tom Glavine.

Along with the eight World Series, La Russa, Torre and Cox combined for 17 league pennants and more than 7,500 wins over 91 total seasons on the bench.

Thanks to the guys at Townsquare Interactive for building this story and letting me tag onto it.

[ESPN, N.Y. Times]