Mike Torrez

Mike Torrez
Pitcher
Born: (1946-08-28) August 28, 1946 Topeka, Kansas
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
September 10, 1967, for the St. Louis Cardinals
Last appearance
July 27, 1984, for the Oakland Athletics
Career statistics
Win–loss record	185–160
Earned run average	3.96
Strikeouts	1,404
Teams
St. Louis Cardinals (1967–1971) Montreal Expos (1971–1974) Baltimore Orioles (1975) Oakland Athletics (1976–1977) New York Yankees (1977) Boston Red Sox (1978–1982) New York Mets (1983–1984) Oakland Athletics (1984)
Career highlights and awards
World Series champion (1977)

Michael Augustine Torrez (born August 28, 1946) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball. He 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 Athletics, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox, all of the American League.

Career

Torrez signed as an amateur free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals in September 1964. 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 on June 15, 1971 for Bob Reynolds. 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 the 1974 season with a 15–8 win-loss record in 186 innings.

After the season, the Expos traded Torrez to the Baltimore Orioles with Ken Singleton for Rich Coggins, Dave McNally, and minor leaguer Bill Kirkpatrick. 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.

On April 2, 1976, the Orioles traded Torrez with Don Baylor and Paul Mitchell to the Oakland Athletics for Reggie Jackson, Ken Holtzman, and minor leaguer Bill VanBommell. Pitching with the 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 for Dock Ellis, Larry Murray and Marty Perez.

Torrez won two games in the 1977 World Series for the World Champion Yankees, both of them complete game victories, and won 15 or more games in 6 consecutive seasons. After the Yankees 1977 championship season, he signed as a free agent with the Boston Red Sox, receiving a five-year contract worth $1.5 million. He won 16 games during the 1978 season. In the 1978 American League East tie-breaker game, he allowed a three-run home run to light-hitting Yankee shortstop, Bucky Dent, in the late innings of the division-deciding 163rd game.

On January 13, 1983, the Red Sox traded Torrez to the New York Mets for a player to be named later. The Mets sent minor leaguer Mike Davis to the Red Sox to complete the trade. With the Mets, he beaned 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. Released by the Mets on June 22, 1984, Torrez signed with the Athletics on July 3. They released him on August 9.

Post playing career

In 2011 Torrez served as General Manager for the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball until he was fired in July by the team's new owners.

References

Bell, Christopher, Scapegoats: Baseballers Whose Careers Are Marked by One Fateful Play. (c) 2002 McFarland and Company.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)