Giuliani and Torre to appear at LIA event

The Long Island Association has hosted some heavy hitters and opinionators as guest speakers at its annual fall luncheon. But the event this year, to be held Oct. 11, has been renamed the "fall classic," and for good reason: it will feature Joe Torre and Rudy Giuliani, one of the Yankees' biggest fans.

The former New York City mayor and the former Yankee manager will talk about -- what else -- baseball, politics and 9/11, said LIA president Kevin Law. Law said he will lead a discussion, as he and other LIA presidents have done with such notables as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, and three former presidents, George H.W. Bush, George W.Bush, and Bill Clinton.

Torre, Yankees' manager from 1996 to 2007, and Giuliani, mayor from 1994 to 2001, won't be taking questions from the audience. But Law said he will be soliciting questions from LIA board members and other business people before the event, to be held at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury.

Law noted that Giuliani is still mulling a White House bid, although he has acknowledged that he would be an extreme long-shot. Giuliani said on CNN earlier this week that he has "not ruled out" vying for the Republican nomination. Giuliani is chief executive of Manhattan-based Giuliani Partners, a business consulting firm. Torre is Major League Baseball's executive vice president for baseball operations.

The LIA does not disclose what it pays speakers.

"The baseball playoffs will be going on," Law said. "This will be a combination of baseball, politics and 9/11. These two guys are friends. They were excited about the opportunity to do this."