Baseball legend Joe Torre joins fellow Yankee Yogi Berra as an ambassador to Athlete Ally, an organization dedicated to eliminating homophobia and transphobia in the sports world.
Torre is Major League Baseball's executive vice president of baseball operations. During the All-Star FanFest, he visited Athlete Ally's booth on Monday to sign the Athlete Ally Pledge. The pact encourages signers to "lead my athletic community and welcome all persons regardless of their perceived or actual sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression."
Torre told the organization it was a simple move for him.
"What you are is a human being," Torre said. "Respect is important. In order to get it, you have to give it."
Currently, Athlete Ally counts at least 80 colleges and 100 professional athletes as ambassadors. The organization has also done work to support out athletes including Brooklyn Nets player Jason Collins, St. Louis Rams defensive end Michael Sam, and Australian Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe, who recently came out in a video interview.
Torre, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, had a long career as a player with teams including the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals, and went on to a stellar managerial record with those teams as well as the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.
