Joe Torre's "Return" a Foreshadow of Things to Come?

If there is one thing to remember in the MLB (and perhaps, all of professional sports), it is "expect the unexpected."

On June 20, 2011, Jack McKeon, a very prolific manager with a World Championship under his belt, returned to Miami, Florida at the ripe age of 80 years old.

A little less than six years ago, tensions flared in the Marlins' organization, and with rumors circulating that McKeon was going to be soon replaced (after a modest 83-79 season), McKeon promptly resigned. The once-beloved, fatherly Marlins skipper was now a thing of the past.

Now, with McKeon's return to the big leagues and to the Marlins, a sense of nostalgia rises among Marlins fans (the couple hundred that exist, of course).

Sure, no one is expecting a World Championship right off the bat; however, there is a feeling of solace in the fact that the Marlins can finish off with a better record than if Edwin Rodriguez stayed along.

With that being said, Sunday afternoon, June 26, 2011, we saw a familiar sight that is both warming and intimidating if you are outside the state of New York.

Joe Torre in pinstripes.

Of course, Torre wasn't quite taking Joe Girardi's job. Rather, he was participating in the Old Timers' Day festivities that have been an official Yankee tradition since 1946.

As it was the first time Torre was seen in Yankee pinstripes since the turbulent 2007 season, there was a feeling of warmth and welcome as Torre was willing to bury the hatchet and extend the olive branch toward the Yankees in order to make any existing turbulent relationships null and void.

Of course, the question is, will we see Torre in pinstripes again?

According to ESPN.com, Torre vehemently denied making a McKeon-esque comeback to the ballpark, saying that he does not want simple one-year or half-year deals. The donning of the uniform was only a trip down memory lane; the goodbye to the Yankee fans that he was unable to make in 2007.

Do the Yankees need him back? Of course not. They have Joe Girardi, who already gave them a ring in his second season managing the ball club.

The Yankees aren't in quite a position for a managerial change (especially considering George Steinbrenner is not running the show, as he is usually known for), so it's plain obvious that we won't see him back really soon.

Does Torre need the Yankees? Again, of course not. Torre is working under Bud Selig in a very high executive position. Being in the front office means there is an oversight of the operations of the baseball world, and Torre is very content in that position as of now.

But it is without a shadow of doubt that he misses the ballpark.