Mike Torrez
| Mike Torrez | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: August 28, 1946 Topeka, Kansas |
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| Batted: Right | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| September 10, 1967 for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 27, 1984 for the Oakland Athletics | |
| Career statistics | |
| Win–Loss record | 185–160 |
| Earned run average | 3.96 |
| Strikeouts | 1,404 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Michael Augustine Torrez (born August 28, 1946 in Topeka, Kansas) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball.
Contents |
[edit] Career
Torrez had an 18-year career from 1967 to 1984. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Montreal Expos and New York Mets, all of the National League, and Baltimore Orioles, Oakland A's, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox, all of the American League.
He made his debut at the age of 20 with the Cardinals. He seldom pitched in his first two seasons. He had a breakthrough season in 1969, going 10-4. He was traded to the Expos mid-season in 1970. In 1972 Torrez went 16-12 with a 3.33 ERA in 240 innings. However he had control problems as he walked 103 batters. He struggled in 1973 going 9-12. Torrez rebounded in '74 with a 15-8 win-loss record in 186 innings.
In 1975 he had perhaps his best season of his career with the Orioles, going 20-9 with a 3.06 ERA in 270.2 innings pitched. However he also led the league in walks with 133.
Pitching with the Oakland Athletics, Torrez had another fine season in 1976 as he went 16-12 with a career low 2.50 ERA. He was traded to Yankees early the next season.
Torrez won 2 games in the 1977 World Series for the World Champion Yankees and won 15 or more games in 6 consecutive seasons. After the Yankees 1977 championship season, he signed as a free agent with Boston. His 16-win 1978 season was forgotten with 1 pitch when he gave up a 3-run home run to light-hitting Yankee shortstop, Bucky Dent, in the late innings of the division-deciding 163rd game.
He is also known for beaning Houston Astros infielder Dickie Thon in 1984. At the time, Thon was considered a possible Hall of Fame player in the making but had his career permanently hampered due to the injury he sustained as a result of the beaning.
[edit] Post playing career
In 2011 Torrez served as General Manager for the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball[1] until he was fired in July by the team's new owners.[2]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Stan Grossfeld (2009-01-05). "Save opportunity: Foulke looks to revive his big league career". Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2009/05/20/save_opportunity/?page=2. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
- ^ The Newark Star Ledger.
Bell, Christopher, Scapegoats: Baseballers Whose Careers Are Marked by One Fateful Play. (c) 2002 McFarland and Company.
[edit] External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
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- Major League Baseball pitchers
- St. Louis Cardinals players
- Montreal Expos players
- Baltimore Orioles players
- Oakland Athletics players
- New York Yankees players
- Boston Red Sox players
- New York Mets players
- Raleigh Cardinals players
- Arkansas Travelers players
- Rock Hill Cardinals players
- Tulsa Oilers (baseball) players
- Winnipeg Whips players
- Tacoma Tigers players
- Miami Marlins (FSL) players
- Baseball players from Kansas
- American baseball players of Mexican descent
- People from Wichita, Kansas
- 1946 births
- Living people
