The Yankees announced Sunday that as part of the 2012 season, they will retire Joe Torre’s #6, in a special ceremony. They have not announced when the ceremony will occur, but Joe Torre’s rumored appearance at Old Timer’s Day could make for prime fodder.

The former skipper was at the helm of the Yankees from 1996-2007, during which time the team won four world series and six AL pennants. While his early success seemed to make him untouchable, his later seasons were marred by losing the 2004 ALCS to the Boston Red Sox, and refusing to take the team off the field during the 2007 ALDS when a swarm of midges attacked the field.

Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera are the only Yankees left who were members of Torre’s original Yankees’ teams; there’s no doubt the ceremony will be especially moving for them.

There has been some controversy over whether or not the Yankees are retiring too many numbers (indeed, within a few years the spring training prospects will be wearing numbers in the triple digits), but for someone who was such an important part of the team for so many years, despite his flaps with the Steinbrenners, perhaps an exception can be made.

For more information, please read the press release here.