REVISITING A POST FROM 2015: MISSING 1972 MIKE TORREZ

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…

 

MISSING IN ACTION: 1976 TRADED MIKE TORREZ

Fun card to add to the WTHBALLS mix today, a "missing" 1976 traded card for solid MLB starter Mike Torrez, who seemed to find himself on a new team every year in the mid-to-late 1970s, even though he kept on winning for whomever he suited up for:

I had fun creating a "bad" Photoshop image of him instead of an actual shot of him as an Oakland A's pitcher, to give it more of that authentic feel.

Torrez was part of the BLOCKBUSTER traded between the Baltimore Orioles and Oakland A's on April 2nd, 1976, when Baltimore sent him along with Don Baylor and Paul Mitchell out West for Bill VanBommel, Ken Holtzman and of course Reggie Jackson just as the season was opening up.

Torrez was coming off his only 20-win season, and certainly made this package much more even than most remember, as Reggie was ready to take his superstar bat elsewhere after numerous battles with owner Charlie Finley.

I’ve always been fascinated by Torrez’s run between 1974 and 1978 when he posted 15+ wins each and every year, playing for a different team each and every season!
In 1974 he won 15 for the Montreal Expos, then 20 for the Baltimore Orioles in 1975, then 16 for the Oakland A’s, then the aforementioned 17 combined wins with the Yanks and A’s in 1977, then finally 16 for the Boston Red Sox in 1978.
Toss in his 16 wins for the Expos in 1972 and then another 16 for the Red Sox in 1979, and we are talking a solid eight-year run of dependability that gets overlooked.
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…

AIRBRUSHING THROUGH THE 1970'S: 1977 BURGER KING MIKE TORREZ

Thought it'd be fun today to take a closer look at Mike Torrez's 1977 Burger King image used for his card, an airbrushed "update" if you will over his regular Topps 1977 base card which showed him as an Oakland A's player:

 

The updated Burger King Card has him as a member of the New York Yankees, to whom he was traded just as the new season was underway.

Torrez was dealt East on April 27th for three players, including Dock Ellis, so Topps understandably couldn’t get him airbrushed in a N.Y. uni in time for their 1977 set.
Torrez would go on to help the Yankees, winning 14 games after posting three wins for Oakland, giving him 17 on the season, while in my opinion was the Yankees MVP (outside of Reggie Jackson of course) of the World Series when he went 2-0 over two starts, with two complete games and a 2.50 ERA with 15 strikeouts.
I’ve always been fascinated by Torrez’s run between 1974 and 1978 when he posted 15+ wins each and every year, playing for a different team each and every season!
In 1974 he won 15 for the Montreal Expos, then 20 for the Baltimore Orioles in 1975, then 16 for the Oakland A’s, then the aforementioned 17 combined wins with the Yanks and A’s in 1977, then finally 16 for the Boston Red Sox in 1978.
Toss in his 16 wins for the Expos in 1972 and then another 16 for the Red Sox in 1979, and we are talking a solid eight-year run of dependability that gets overlooked.
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…

TRADED- 1977 MIKE TORREZ

Thought I’d go ahead and create a 1977 “Traded” card for former pitcher Mike Torrez, who found himself in the Bronx pitching for the eventual World Champion New York Yankees after an early season trade from the Oakland A’s:

Now, though I have always been a huge fan of his actual 1977 Topps card because he looked like a dude right out of my Bensonhurst, Brooklyn neighborhood (think Saturday Night Fever at that time), Torrez was dealt East on April 27th for three players, including Dock Ellis, so Topps understandably couldn’t get him airbrushed in a N.Y. uni in time for their 1977 set.
Torrez would go on to help the Yankees, winning 14 games after posting three wins for Oakland, giving him 17 on the season, while in my opinion was the Yankees MVP (outside of Reggie Jackson of course) of the World Series when he went 2-0 over two starts, with two complete games and a 2.50 ERA with 15 strikeouts.
I’ve always been fascinated by Torrez’s run between 1974 and 1978 when he posted 15+ wins each and every year, playing for a different team each and every season!
In 1974 he won 15 for the Montreal Expos, then 20 for the Baltimore Orioles in 1975, then 16 for the Oakland A’s, then the aforementioned 17 combined wins with the Yanks and A’s in 1977, then finally 16 for the Boston Red Sox in 1978.
Toss in his 16 wins for the Expos in 1972 and then another 16 for the Red Sox in 1979, and we are talking a solid eight-year run of dependability that gets overlooked.
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…

MISSING IN ACTION- 1972 MIKE TORREZ

OK, so trying to say long-time Major League pitcher Mike Torrez "missing" from the 1972 set is a bit of a stretch, but it WAS the only set he didn't appear in during the decade, so I went and designed one anyway.

Take a look:

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…