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Little League giving Shea Award to Joe Torre

Little League named Joe Torre its 2013 William A. “Bill” Shea Little League Graduate of the Year recipient, it said Thursday.

The award will be presented at a time to be announced during the Little?League World Series, running Aug. 15-25 at Lamade and Volunteer Stadiums.

The Shea award was established in 1987 to recognize a former Little Leaguer in Major League Baseball, who best exemplifies the spirit of Little League. Consideration for selection includes both the individual’s ability and accomplishments and that person’s status as a positive role model.

Shea is credited with bringing National League Baseball back to New York in the early 1960s, while also working for the advancement of Little League.

“Being a Brooklyn native, and having spent so much of my professional career in New York as a player and a manager, it is an honor to be recognized with an award that celebrates the legacy of Bill Shea,” said Torre in a statement. “Baseball was an important part of my childhood, and I would like to thank Little League for this recognition.”

Torre, currently an executive with Major League Baseball, won 2,326 games as a manager, fifth most all-time. He led the New York Yankees to four World Series titles between 1996-2000, and also managed the New York?Mets, Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He also managed Team USA?in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

Torre also played from 1960-77 as a catcher, third baseman, and first baseman with the Braves, Cardinals, and Mets. He won the 1970 NL?MVP?Award with St. Louis when he led the NL?with a .363 average and 137 RBIs. He finished his career with 2,342 hits.

Off the field, Torre and his wife, Ali, created the Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation, which operates approximately a dozen domestic violence resource centers called Margaret’s Place, named after Torre’s mother.

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