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.
Early years
Torrez was born on August 28, 1946, in Topeka, Kansas, the descendant of Mexican immigrants who had come to the United States to work for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. He was the fifth of eight children of Juan and Mary Torrez, who lived in the Oakland neighborhood of Topeka, Kansas. His father, who worked for the railroad, also coached local Cosmopolitan and Little League teams, winning city championships as their manager. At Topeka High School, Mike played basketball but not baseball; the sport was dropped by the school in the late 1950s because it conflicted with the track schedule. He played American Legion Baseball for three years, posting a 13–1 record for the Van-Ts in his final year. He was named to the Eastern Kansas All-Star team and, in his final American Legion game, struck out 18 when he faced the Nebraska All-Star team. Marion McDonald, a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals, became interested in Torrez after seeing him pitch in Lawrence. Torrez also attended a tryout with the Detroit Tigers, who were so impressed with him that they later offered him a $75,000 contract–but their offer was too late. Shortly after his eighteenth birthday, Torrez signed for $20,000 with the Cardinals as an amateur free agent on September 10, 1964.