ST. LOUIS – Joe Torre, a former MVP and manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, made a surprise return to Busch Stadium on Thursday to take part in the city’s beloved Opening Day traditions.

After decades of success as a player and a manager, both in St. Louis and beyond, Torre remains deeply connected to the game. Now 84 years old, Torre currently serves as a special assistant to Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, a role he has now held for more than five years.

A nine-time All-Star as a player and a four-time World Series champion manager of the New York Yankees, Torre is a man of many hats, accomplishments and commitments. His presence at Opening Day in St. Louis isn’t always a guarantee, but when he returns, it’s quite special.

As per tradition, Busch Stadium welcomed back several Cardinals Hall of Famers in their iconic red jackets to celebrate Opening Day, 13 in total. Torre was among a select few who were honored Thursday and are also enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, a distinguished group that also includes Tony La Russa, Scott Rolen, Ted Simmons and Ozzie Smith.

In a one-on-one interview with FOX 2, Torre reflected on his time in St. Louis, the unmatched excitement of Opening Day, and his hopes for the future of baseball.

Q & A

Question: How special is it for you to be invited back here after all these years, contiuing to be a part of the Cardinals organization?

Torre: “Well, I missed last year, and I always know how special Opening Day is here in St. Louis. The one regret I have is we didn’t win anything [World Series championships] when I was here. We came close a couple of times. But the fact is, once you’re a Cardinal, people in this town just treat you like royalty, and it’s always felt very special to me.”

Question: What is it about St. Louis and its relationship with baseball and the Cardinals that makes Opening Day special?

Torre: “It’s because you walk around town. Of course, today in the rain, it’s a little tougher, but everybody’s dressed in red. You know what’s happening. This is an event, and it always elevated your mood. Because you knew, basically, we’re the only show in town at this point in time. And Opening Day, especially what they do at the Cardinal Hall of Fame, it brings us back, and it brings the memories back.”

Question: From your experience, seeing everything that goes into it, what is so special about Opening Day in St. Louis?

Torre: “Well, I have to arm wrestle with my wife. She’s from Cincinnati, and they had some pretty good Opening Days. They used to give [children] off from school on Opening Day. But anytime you know a city – and I mean it’s not like a little town, but it’s a city – comes together to celebrate baseball, I think it’s a very special time. The Cardinals have always been that city.”

Question: Is there a specific Opening Day memory for you that stands out above the others?

Torre: “I had a run between the Cardinals and the Braves because I came over from the Braves. I think I had three straight years of hitting two home runs on Opening Day. I was trying to figure it out. That meant I was going to hit 120 for the year, but it never came out that way. But you know, I don’t know, Opening Day, I guess the first one here for me in 1969. We were playing the Pirates and I was playing first base because they traded Cepeda. Gibby [Bob Gibson] was the pitcher and Willie Stargell was the hitter, and I was nervous because I knew what St. Louis represented and they had just come from the World Series the year before, and I just put a lot of pressure on myself. I was 0-for-a couple of at-bats. Stargell comes up to hit. I was playing deep at first base and he hit a rocket, and I kneeled down and tried to block it, and it hit me in about three different places and went into right field. Bob Gibson was on the field and he called timeout. He called me over to the mound and said, ‘When Stargell hits the ball,’ don’t get in front of it. That sort of relaxed me because I felt accepted, even though I struggled a little bit that first game. After that, it was a piece of cake. This was really where I came as a player to really mature and grow up, and I really appreciated that.”

Question: What are your thoughts on the state of baseball right now and how things have changed?

Torre: “I was always against the pitch clock when I was working at MLB, but a few years ago, when they were using it in spring training, it clicked with me. When I watched the pace of the game pick up, I said, ‘This is the game I played.’ It wasn’t necessarily, I know a lot of people make the fact that the game is shorter as the reason for it. To me, it took the dead time out of the game, and I really like that part of it. I’m not crazy about a couple of other things, like making the relief pitcher pitch to the three hitters. I think it messes with the strategy. But aside from that, I think the game is only going up. And I think some fans that we lost are coming back because it’s a pretty exciting game.”