Frank Torre, World Series star and brother of Joe Torre, dies at 82

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, Fla. He had previously received heart and kidney transplants, and had in recent years been ill with cancer.

Torre, a first baseman, 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, nearly nine years older than Joe, guided his younger brother’s signing with the Braves and was long his mentor. Joe Torre starred as a player, won four titles while managing the Yankees and also managed the Dodgers from 2008-2010. Inducted into the Hall this summer, he is now an executive with MLB.

Frank Torre was born Dec. 30, 1931, in Brooklyn, N.Y. He signed with the Boston Braves and played in their minor league system in 1951 before serving two years in the military. When he rejoined the Braves they had relocated to Milwaukee. The Braves sent him back to the minors during the 1960 season. He barely missed playing with his brother when the team brought Joe to the big leagues later that year.

After finishing as a player, Torre worked for Rawlings Sporting Goods Co. He later became an executive with the Baseball Assistance Team, which helps those who have been in the game and their families in need.

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