Today we'll revisit my "missing" 1972
card for long-time pitcher Mike Torrez, at one time about as reliable
an arm there was in the Big Leagues:
Torrez barely played in 1971, as he split time between the St.
Louis Cardinals and Montreal Expos (for only one game), totaling 10
games and 39 innings of work.
But in 1972 he would begin a nice run when he posted a 16-12 record
with a 3.33 earned run average and 112 strikeouts over 34 games, 33 of
which were starts, and 243.1 innings pitched.
During the middle of the decade he did something I always thought
was amazing: he won 14 or more games five years in a row, with FIVE
different teams!
He won 15 in 1974 with the Expos, 20 in 1975 with the Orioles (of
course, right?), 16 in 1976 with the A's, 14 in 1977 (after coming over
from Oakland with a 3-1 record) with the Yankees, and then 16 with the
Red Sox in 1978.
That's a pretty cool run! He even went on to win 16 games yet again the following year while still pitching for Boston.
By the time he retired after the 1984 season, Torrez fashioned
himself a solid 18-year career that saw him go 185-160, with a 3.96
E.R.A., 1404 strikeouts and 15 shutouts over 494 games, 458 of which
were starts.
He also won two games in the 1977 World Series against the Dodgers,
pitching a complete game in both starts, yielding a 2.50 E.R.A. with 15
strikeouts. Not bad at all…
