Boland: Core Four looking forward to reunion with 'Mr. Torre'

LOS ANGELES

It has always been Mr. T, or Mr. Torre, for Derek Jeter, and it always will be.

"I was 21 when I came up," Jeter - who turns 36 Saturday - said in explaining why he never has called Joe Torre by his first name, and never will. "It's out of respect. Not saying that I don't have respect for you guys if I don't call you Mr., but like I said, he's been like a father figure to me, so it's just out of respect."

Mariano Rivera is 40, but when it comes to Torre, it's "Mr.'' for him, too.

"I'm looking forward to seeing Mr. T," he said. "It's going to be interesting. It's going to be nice. It's going to be fun."

Jeter and Rivera, along with Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada, grew up as pros under Torre as the Yankees won four World Series from 1996-2000. They all speak of him in similar terms.

Father figure. Mentor. Friend.

SEE PHOTOSTop Derek Jeter moments

"There's no doubt about it, I'm looking forward to seeing him," Pettitte said. "Looking forward to saying hi and giving him a hug."

Posada said he'll always be grateful that Torre eventually turned over the full-time catching duties to him, but his affection runs deeper than that.

"It's the way he treated me," Posada said. "Not only me getting a chance to play - obviously, I'm going to thank him forever and the organization [for that] - but the way he treated me was really special. I will always remember that."

Pettitte recalled when there were calls within the organization - primarily George Steinbrenner before the 1999 trade deadline - early in his career to trade him, and that Torre's support didn't waver.

"He supported me through the good times and the bad times and when I struggled," Pettitte said. "He stood up for me when they wanted to trade me and he put his neck on the line for me. That obviously means an awful lot to me."

Rivera's Hall of Fame career as a closer started under Torre in 1997, though Rivera recalled early struggles that first season (nine blown saves and, of course, the tying homer by Sandy Alomar Jr. in Game 4 of the Division Series in Cleveland).

"I was struggling a little bit at the beginning. He said, 'Don't worry what you do; as long as I'm here, you will be my closer,' " Rivera said. "That was enough for me to feel confidence and just keep doing the rest. I ended up with [43] saves that year. So it was tremendous. He was that kind of man. Always was there for us no matter what the situation was."

Jeter said Torre could be "tough," though that didn't manifest itself in fits of screaming. It was usually a stare - or glare - that players learned to interpret.

"You knew when he wasn't happy," Jeter said. "Like when you're around your parents, you can look at them and know they're upset without them saying something. So I remember trying to steal third one time and I knew he was upset."

That was in 1996 and Jeter, thinking he was about to be ripped by his manager, made a pre-emptive strike and took a seat next to Torre on the bench. But Torre didn't say a word - and during the rest of Jeter's career under Torre, there weren't many mental lapses to speak of.

The members of the Core Four still keep in touch with Torre, and all said the strangeness of seeing their former manager in Dodger blue has faded. On the field before tonight's game will be about sharing a few laughs, a hug or two and maybe another thank you.

"I learned a lot with the way he handles people, with how he deals with people," Jeter said. "I've said it before: People say you treat everyone the same. You don't treat everyone the same, you treat everyone fairly, and I think he was pretty good at that. But he meant a lot to me. He gave me a chance to play."