New York, NY, United States

The day finally arrived and Joe Torre and the fans both enjoyed it.

Torre returned in uniform to Yankee Stadium Sunday for the Yankees' 65th Old-Timers' Day. It was also the second time since his tenure with the Yankees ended tumultuously after New York lost to the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS in 2007.

Torre was received with a sustained ovation.

"I knew this day would come," said Torre, who received a rousing ovation from the Yankee Stadium crowd after his introduction. "I've been looking forward to this. I think I'm going to enjoy this day.

"It was heartwarming. These fans are so special, and you can feel their heartbeat."

The 70-year-old Torre couldn't return the last three years because he was managing the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he retired after the 2010 season. Torre, who managed the Yankees for 12 seasons that included four World Series titles, is now the MLB's vice president of baseball operations.

"Putting (the uniform) back on felt good," Torre told ESPNnewYork.com. "Taking it off was quite emotional back in '07 because when I was doing it, I knew I wasn't going to be here anymore. I just don't like to dwell on stuff, but I certainly did feel different when I put it on (Sunday morning), because it was something I hadn't done it in a long time, and it's obviously the uniform that has meant the most to my career."

Torre guided New York to Series titles in 1996 and 1998-2000, and added AL pennants in 2001 and '03. But New York didn't reach the World Series in any of his last four seasons, leading to tension and a cold war between Torre and general manager Brian Cashman and owner George Steinbrenner.

Torre eventually turned down a one year, $5 million deal to remain in 2008 and wrote a book "The Yankee Years." He wrote that Cashman "betrayed" him during his final contract negotiations with the team.

Torre didn't return to Yankee Stadium until Sept. 20, 2010, following Steinbrenner's death, when the Yankees honored him with a statue in Monument Park. Torre called his initial return an "ice-breaker" and says the awkwardness and animosity between he and the organization is "gone."

The Yankees took the deciding game of the three-game series with a 6-4 win over Colorado in the scheduled game.

New York got homers from Nick Swisher, Jorge Posada and Mark Teixeira and a seventh-inning go-ahead single by Eduardo Nunez.

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