MISSING IN ACTION- 1973 HECTOR TORRES

Here’s a 1973 “missing” card for a guy who was missing a few of them during the 1970’s, former infielder Hector Torres:

Torres really could have gotten a card every year but 1975 (after missing out on MLB play the previous year), but only had cards in the 1970-72 & 1976 sets.
I already created a 1978 “missing” card for him on this blog a while back, and this 1973 will hopefully be joined by a 1974 & 1977 in the near future.
During the 1972 season Torres played in 83 games for the Montreal Expos, batting .155 with 28 hits over 181 at-bats and 199 plate appearances.
Sure the dismal hitting didn’t help, but I can easily name a handful of players who played a ton less and got cards in the set.
Generally a part-timer off the bench, Torres put in nine years in the Major Leagues, batting .216 with 375 hits in 1738 at-bats over 622 games between 1968 and 1977.

MISSING IN ACTION- 1978 HECTOR TORRES

Here’s a card for a guy who had a few “missing” cards throughout the decade, former infielder Hector Torres, today’s card being a 1978 “capper” of sorts:

Torres finished up a nine-year career spanning 1968-1977 with 91 games for the Toronto Blue Jays, hitting .241 with 64 hits over 266 at-bats. Decent playing time for a guy left out of the 1978 set.
He should have also been included in the 1973 and 1977 sets considering his playing time the previous seasons, just about 200 plate appearances both times.
He’d end up with a .216 average over his career, with 375 hits in 1738 official at-bats in 622 games playing for five teams: Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos, San Diego padres and Blue Jays.

LONG TIME NO SEE: 1976 HECTOR TORRES (#241)

Hector Torres was one of those players that came and went throughout the 1970's.

I originally had him measured up to be a "missing in action" subject in the future for this blog, but also realized that he went four years before making an appearance in a Topps set again, from 1972 to 1976.

In the 1972 set he was depicted as a Chicago Cub (on "devlish" card #666) since he appeared in 31 games for them in 1971, good for 58 at-bats.

 

Card #666 in 1972's psychedelic set.

 

Yet oddly enough Topps didn't go and give him a card in their 1973 set even though he saw a lot more playing time with the Montreal Expos, getting into 83 games and 181 at-bats. Go figure?!

After bouncing around the Minors for a couple of years he finally found decent playing time in 1975 with the San Diego Padres playing various infield positions, getting into 112 games with 352 at-bats, both the highest totals since his rookie year in 1968, and totals he'd never surpass again in his career.

For this, in 1976 Topps "rewarded" Torres with his first card since 1972, #241 in the equally as colorful set. See below…

 

A baseball card reappearance for Torres after four years.

I've always been a sucker for "missing" cards of players, or cards of a player that hadn't appeared in sets for years.

So because of this, I will also be profiling Torres for his missing cards.

Yes, that's "cards" plural, as he should have had a card in the 1973, 1977 and 1978 sets. Especially the latter two since he posted over 200 at-bats in each of 1976 and 1977.

As a matter of fact Torres was one of the "original" Blue Jays in 1977, so it's a shame he wasn't shown as such from a historical standpoint.

Keep an eye out for them in the future.