Born: (1946-08-28) August 28, 1946 (age 77) Topeka, Kansas, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 10, 1967, for the St. Louis Cardinals
Last MLB appearance
July 27, 1984, for the Oakland Athletics
MLB 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 an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) starting pitcher. In an 18-season career, he pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals (1967–1971), Montreal Expos (1971–1974), Baltimore Orioles (1975), Oakland Athletics (1976–1977, 1984), New York Yankees (1977), Boston Red Sox (1978–1982), and New York Mets (1983–1984). As a member of the Yankees, he won two games of the 1977 World Series over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He batted and threw right-handed.
A native of Topeka, Kansas, Torrez was signed by the Cardinals in 1964. He made his MLB debut with them in 1967 and became a full-time major leaguer in 1969, winning nine of his final 10 starts that year. He had a 10–4 record in 1969 but an 8–10 record in 1970 before getting traded to the Expos during the 1971 season. After pitching one game for Montreal that year, Torrez spent the next three seasons with the ballclub, winning 16 games in 1972 and 15 games in 1974. Traded to the Orioles for 1975, he won 20 games for the only time in his career, posting a .690 winning percentage. The Orioles sent him to Oakland for 1976 as part of the Reggie Jackson trade; Torrez won 16 games for Oakland in 1976 before getting traded to the Yankees in April 1977. He reached the playoffs for the only time in his career that year, winning two World Series games as the Yankees defeated the Dodgers in six games.
After the World Series, Torrez signed a seven-year, $2.5 million contract with the rival Boston Red Sox and helped them contend for the American League (AL) East title all season. Boston and New York finished the season with identical records, and Torrez pitched the tie-breaker game to determine the winner. He allowed a pivotal home run to Bucky Dent of the Yankees, and though he was initially cheered by Red Sox fans as he left the game, he would soon become a scapegoat for a frustrated fan base. He pitched for Boston for four more seasons, winning 16 games in 1979 and finishing second in the AL in winning percentage in 1981. After the 1982 season, he was traded to the Mets, with whom he served as a mentor for New York's young pitchers. He was released in 1984 and pitched two games with Oakland that year before finishing his career in the minor leagues in 1985.
Michael Augustine Torrez (born August 28, 1946) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) starting pitcher. In an 18-season career, he pitched...
and $200,000. After only one year with the Oakland Athletics, pitcher MikeTorrez was acquired in exchange for pitcher Dock Ellis and utilitymen Marty...
game against the Baltimore Orioles, Munson had an altercation with MikeTorrez. Torrez hit Munson with a pitch in the first inning, gave up a single to...
right-handed pitcher Bill Van Bommel to the Baltimore Orioles for Don Baylor, MikeTorrez, and Paul Mitchell on April 2, 1976. Jackson had not signed a contract...
Marty Perez were traded by the Yankees to the Oakland Athletics for MikeTorrez. August 2: The Yankees acquired Stan Thomas from the Seattle Mariners...
draft by the Chicago White Sox. This left opening day duties to MikeTorrez. Torrez lasted only 1.1 innings against the Cincinnati Reds at Riverfront...
March 1968, along with Johnny Bench, Cisco Carlos, Alan Foster, and MikeTorrez, as "The Best Rookies of 1968." In 1969, Pepper refused a minor league...
season – Society for American Baseball Research". Iber, Jorge (2016). MikeTorrez: A Baseball Biography. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. p. 132. ISBN 978-0-7864-9632-7...
permanently altered on April 8, 1984, when he was hit in the face by MikeTorrez's fastball. Bill James thinks Thon might have been a Hall of Famer had...
player to be named later to the Boston Red Sox for MikeTorrez. The Mets completed the deal by sending Mike Davis (minors) to the Red Sox on February 15. May...
at the Winter Meetings, the Baltimore Orioles acquired Singleton and MikeTorrez from the Expos for Dave McNally, Rich Coggins and minor-league right-handed...
Santiago-Smith Mike Scioscia Jorge Sosa Steve Sparks Joe Stanka Terry Steinbach Dave Stewart Rick Sutcliffe Salomón Torres MikeTorrez John Tudor Bobby...
competed for the fifth starter's role in spring training but lost out to MikeTorrez. After the 1969 baseball season, Giusti was traded to the Pittsburgh...
Yankees, who went on to win the 1978 World Series. November 23, 1977: MikeTorrez was signed as a free agent by the Boston Red Sox. December 8, 1977: Don...
Scout". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 14, 2018. Iber, Jorge (2016). MikeTorrez: A Baseball Biography. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. p. 132. ISBN 978-0-7864-9632-7...
free agency after the upcoming season, the Orioles traded Baylor with MikeTorrez and Paul Mitchell to the Oakland Athletics for Reggie Jackson, Ken Holtzman...
from the game was Bucky Dent's 7th inning three-run home run in off MikeTorrez just over the Green Monster, giving the Yankees their first lead. The...
right-handed pitcher Bill Kirkpatrick to the Expos for Ken Singleton and MikeTorrez at the Winter Meetings on December 4, 1974. Along with Woodie Fryman...
sixth game of the 1977 fall classic, he was struck out by the Yankees’ MikeTorrez. In 515 games over eight seasons, Goodson posted a .260 batting average...
Steve Shea Tommie Sisk Dick Smith Joe Sparma Stan Swanson MikeTorrez Freddie Velázquez Mike Wegener Fred Whitfield Jimy Williams Ron Woods List may include...
was held at Fenway Park. With Guidry pitching against former Yankee MikeTorrez, the Red Sox took an early 2–0 lead. In the seventh inning, light-hitting...
Larry Murray and Marty Perez to the Oakland Athletics for MikeTorrez in April 1977. Torrez emerged as a top starting pitcher for the Yankees that season...
After a one-out walk and single, Freddie Patek's RBI single off of MikeTorrez in the second put the Royals up 1–0. Next inning, Al Cowens' groundout...
, p.132 Fagen et al., p.144 Fagen et al., p.152 Iber, Jorge (2016). MikeTorrez: A Baseball Biography. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. pp. 79, 83. ISBN 978-0-7864-9632-7...
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