PHILADELPHIA -- Joe Torre is going back to the All-Star game.
Torre said Wednesday that Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel asked him to be part of the National League coaching staff for the Midsummer Classic in St. Louis on July 14.
"It's a privilege and an honor," Torre said before his Los Angeles Dodgers played the Phillies in the second game of their three-game series. "I'm definitely going."
Torre is 5-0-1 as a manager in the All-Star game. He led the AL team to a victory in 2004 in his last appearance as manager. The managers of the two teams that play in the previous World Series are the All-Star managers. Each gets to pick two managers to serve as coaches.
Torre spent six seasons as a player in St. Louis (1969-74) and six more as a manager (1990-95). He's looking forward to going back for the All-Star festivities instead of taking three days off. He did have to change the date for his sister's 80th birthday celebration that originally was scheduled for that week.
"It'll be fun," he said. "St. Louis is where I started growing up. It'll be nice going back there."
Manuel's Phillies beat Torre's Dodgers in the NL championship series last year en route to the second World Series championship in franchise history. The two managers exchanged pleasantries behind the cage during batting practice, and Torre thanked Manuel for the opportunity to coach on his staff.
Torre managed the New York Yankees from 1996-07, winning four World Series titles and six AL pennants. The 2008 All-Star game was held at the old Yankee Stadium in its final season, but Torre was left off the NL coaching staff during his first year in charge of the Dodgers.