Rusty Torres
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Rosendo "Rusty" Torres Hernández (born September 30, 1948) is a Puerto Rican former professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...
. He played all or part of nine seasons in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
for five different teams. In an odd coincidence, Torres happened to be in the
ballpark A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into two field sections called the infield and the outfield. The infield is an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined in part ba ...
when
forfeit Forfeit or forfeiture may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Forfeit'', a 2007 thriller film starring Billy Burke * "Forfeit", a song by Chevelle from '' Wonder What's Next'' * '' Forfeit/Fortune'', a 2008 album by Crooked Fingers ...
s were called in three different games in the 1970s.


Early life

Born in
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, Torres came to live in New York City early in life, attending Queens Vocational High School in
Jamaica, Queens Jamaica is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It has a popular large commercial and retail area, though part of the neighborhood is also residential. Jamaica is bordered by Hollis, St Albans, and Cambria Heights to the ea ...
. He was drafted by the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
in the 54th round of the 1966 Major League Baseball Draft.


Professional career


Early minor league career

Torres debuted professionally in 1967 with the rookie league Johnson City Yankees, and also played for three other teams in the Yankees organization that year: the Oneonta Yankees, the Fort Lauderdale Yankees, and the Greensboro Yankees. He batted a combined .247 in 75 games. In 1968, Torres returned to Fort Lauderdale, where he batted just .229 in 126 games. He spent his third season at class-A with the Kinston Eagles in 1969, batting .270 with 13
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s. This performance earned Torres a promotion to Double-A. Playing for the Manchester Yankees, he missed much of the 1970 season due to injury, appearing in just 41 games and batting .244. Still, Torres was promoted to Triple-A in 1971. Playing for the
Syracuse Chiefs Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...
, Torres batted .290 with 19 home runs in 133 games, earning himself a call-up to the Yankees in September.


New York Yankees

Torres made his major league debut as a 22-year-old with the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
on September 20, 1971, recording a single in four plate appearances against Baltimore. He finished 1971 with a .385 batting average, with 10 hits in 26
at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, ...
s.


Forfeit #1: Senators' last game in Washington

On the same day as Torres's debut, the Washington Senators announced they would move to Dallas/Fort Worth for the 1972 season. After a 4-for-5 day (with his first major league
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
) against Detroit on September 26, the Yankees started Torres in
right field A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In t ...
for their final three games of the season in Washington – the Senators final home stand. On the season's final day, September 30 (Torres's 23rd birthday), the Senators led 7–5 with two outs in the top of the ninth when Yankee Horace Clarke stepped to the plate, with Torres (who already had two hits including a homer) on deck. Suddenly, outraged Senators fans stormed the field, causing the game to be forfeited to New York. In a 2007 interview, Torres recalled: "
Bobby Murcer Bobby Ray Murcer (May 20, 1946 – July 12, 2008) was an American professional baseball outfielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1965 and 1983. He played the majority of his career for the New York Yankees, whom he ...
hits a ground ball. He gets thrown out at first. They thought it was three outs. It was only two outs. And they rushed us! They rushed the field. They took dirt. People were taking dirt, taking the bases. They were tearing up the seats. It was unbelievable. That was a real scary experience. Thankfully, none of us got hurt."


1972

In 1972, Torres made the Yankees out of
spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...
, appearing on Opening Day as a
pinch hitter In baseball, a pinch hitter (PH) is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, A ...
. However, he hit just .211 in 175 at bats through July 22, and was demoted to Syracuse. Torres was later recalled by the Yankees on September 1, but finished the season with a .211 batting average in 199 at bats. He, along with John Ellis, Charlie Spikes and Jerry Kenney, was traded from the Yankees to the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
for
Graig Nettles Graig Nettles (born August 20, 1944), nicknamed "Puff", is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins (1967–1969), Cleveland Indians (1970–1972), New York Yankee ...
and Jerry Moses at the
Winter Meetings Representatives of all 30 Major League Baseball teams and their 120 Minor League Baseball affiliates convene for four days each December in the Winter Meetings to discuss league business and conduct off-season trades and transactions. Attendees in ...
on November 27, 1972.


Cleveland Indians

Torres was the Indians' Opening Day right fielder and leadoff hitter in 1973. He started 51 games in right field for the Indians, more than any other player. Overall, he appeared in 121 games in his first full major league season, but hit just .205. Still, his defensive skills were enough for him to claim a regular spot in the lineup of the lowly Indians. They were not, however, enough for him to keep that spot in . John Lowenstein moved into the lineup as the everyday
left fielder In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...
, with Charlie Spikes moving into Torres's position in right field. With Leron Lee also joining the team, Torres became the Indians' fifth outfielder.


Forfeit #2: Ten Cent Beer Night

On June 4, the Indians held a promotion to attract fans to the park for a game against Texas: the now-infamous Ten Cent Beer Night. Torres was inserted as a
pinch hitter In baseball, a pinch hitter (PH) is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, A ...
in the ninth inning, delivering a single. Two batters later, John Lowenstein hit a
sacrifice fly In baseball, a sacrifice fly (sometimes abbreviated to sac fly) is defined by Rule 9.08(d): "Score a sacrifice fly when, before two are out, the batter hits a ball in flight handled by an outfielder or an infielder running in the outfield in fair o ...
, tying the game at 5–5, and putting Torres in
scoring position In the sport of baseball, a baserunner is said to be in scoring position when they are on second or third base. The distinction between being on first base and second or third base is that a runner on first can usually only score if the batter ...
on second base representing the winning run. But with a drunk crowd, the situation finally boiled over. After Texas outfielder
Jeff Burroughs Jeffrey Alan Burroughs (born March 7, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball from through , for the Washington Senators / Texas Rangers (1970–76), Atlanta Braves (1977†...
violently reacted to a fan stealing his hat, hundreds of fans poured into the outfield, many of them throwing whatever they could lay their hands on, even several chairs. As a result, umpire crew chief Nestor Chylak forfeited the contest to the Rangers—the same franchise as the old Senators.


September trade

Torres hit a miserable .187 in 1974, starting just 27 games, mostly in center field. On September 12, he was traded to the
California Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...
in a deal that brought
Frank Robinson Frank Robinson (August 31, 1935 – February 7, 2019), nicknamed "the Judge", was an American professional baseball outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for five teams over 21 seasons: the Cincinnati Reds (1956–196 ...
to Cleveland. However, he did not play for the Angels during the remainder of the season.


California Angels

Torres spent the entire 1975 season in the minors. Playing for the Salt Lake City Gulls, Torres batted a minor league career best .306 in 107 games. During the following offseason, the Angels traded their starting center fielder,
Mickey Rivers John Milton "Mickey" Rivers (born October 30, 1948) is an American former baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball from 1970 to 1984 for the California Angels, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers. As a Yankee, he was part of two Worl ...
, to the Yankees. In return, they received right fielder
Bobby Bonds Bobby Lee Bonds Sr. (March 15, 1946 – August 23, 2003) was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball from to . He played for the San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, California Angels, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers (baseball), ...
. This sent their 1975 starting right fielder, Leroy Stanton, to the bench, opening up a spot for Torres. Torres was the Angels' Opening Day center fielder that year. Overall, he appeared in 120 games for the 1976 Angels, 104 of them in center field. He had just a .205 batting average, but his several walks and decent power made him a near-league-average offensive player (98 OPS+) that year. Once again, however, Torres could not hold onto a starting job. The Angels gave the center field job to Gil Flores in 1977. Combined with other acquisitions, Torres wound up buried deep on the bench. Despite spending the entire season in the majors, Torres totaled just 77 at bats with an anemic .156 batting average. He became a
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
at the end of the year.


Chicago White Sox

Torres was signed on March 1, 1978, by the Texas Rangers, but for the first time in three years started the season in the minor leagues, playing for the
Tucson Toros The Tucson Toros were a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States. The original Toros were a Triple-A minor league baseball team in the Pacific Coast League from 1969 to 1997, where they won the PCL Championship in ...
. He got off to a hot start, batting .346 with 7 home runs in just 30 games. He was dealt along with
Claudell Washington Claudell Washington (August 31, 1954June 10, 2020) was an American baseball outfielder who played seventeen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, Atlanta Br ...
from the Rangers to the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
for Bobby Bonds on May 16. After spending a few months with the minor league Iowa Oaks, Torres earned another shot at the majors in September. In 16 games down the stretch, Torres managed to hit at a .316 clip in 44 at bats. Torres made the White Sox Opening Day roster in 1979. He was batting .286 for the 1979 season by the morning of July 12; that night, Torres would start in right field in the first game of a doubleheader against the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
.


Forfeit #3: Disco Demolition Night

That night the White Sox staged the
Disco Demolition Night Disco Demolition Night was a Major League Baseball (MLB) promotion on Thursday, July 12, 1979, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois, that ended in a riot. At the climax of the event, a crate filled with disco records was blown up on the fiel ...
promotion. This time Torres wasn't on the field when the madness started; the first game had ended and Torres (who had singled and scored the Sox' only run in the 4–1 loss) was in the locker room when disc jockey
Steve Dahl Steven Robert Dahl (born November 20, 1954) is an American radio personality. He is the owner and operator of the Steve Dahl Network, a Subscription business model, subscription-based podcasting network. Dahl gained a measure of national attention ...
"blew up" a box of disco records, inspiring thousands of fans to run onto the field, which was eventually cleared by police in
riot gear Riot control is a form of public order policing used by law enforcement, military, paramilitary or security forces to control, disperse, and arrest people who are involved in a riot, unlawful demonstration or unlawful protest. If a riot is sp ...
. Tigers manager
Sparky Anderson George Lee "Sparky" Anderson (February 22, 1934 – November 4, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player, coach, and manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1970 to 1978 and the American League's Detroit Ti ...
refused to field his team citing safety concerns, which resulted in the forfeiture by the White Sox to the Tigers.


Remaining career

Torres finished the 1979 season with a .253 average and a career-high eight home runs. He became a free agent again at the end of the season, re-signing with the White Sox before spring training. However, he did not make the club, and was released on April 1. A month later, on May 5, he was signed by the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
. He played eight games for the
Omaha Royals Omaha ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 41st-most-populous city, Omaha had a popu ...
to get in shape, then was promoted to the majors. In 51 games for the Royals, however, Torres batted just .167 without an
extra base hit In baseball, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH), also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire ano ...
, and was released on August 29. The following January, Torres signed with the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
. He spent the entire 1981 season with their top farm club, the
Portland Beavers The Portland Beavers was the name of separate minor league baseball teams, which represented Portland, Oregon, in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). The team was established in 1903, the first year of the PCL. Franchise history Many baseball teams h ...
, batting .257 with 21 home runs. However, it was not enough to get him back to the majors, and after the season he called it a career at age 33.


Later life and sexual abuse charges

An excellent
stickball Stickball is a street game similar to baseball, usually formed as a pick-up game played in large cities in the Northeastern United States, especially New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston. The equipment consists of a broom handle and a rubber ...
player as a kid growing up in the
Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
, Torres was inducted into the "Stickball Hall Of Fame" in 2002. Torres was awarded with the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame Pioneer Award in New York on June 8, 2007. Torres later founded "Winning Beyond Winning", a group that helps prepare young athletes for a life beyond sports. "We help teach the kids how to excel in sports, but just as importantly, we tell them to make sure they get a well-rounded education." In 2012, Torres was arrested and charged with sexually abusing some of the young players he was coaching, including an 8-year-old girl. In July 2014, he was convicted of five counts of first-degree sexual abuse, and acquitted of sexually abusing another girl. Torres was sentenced to three years in prison in December 2014.


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Torres, Rusty 1948 births Living people Major League Baseball outfielders New York Yankees players Cleveland Indians players California Angels players Chicago White Sox players Kansas City Royals players Syracuse Chiefs players Kinston Eagles players Manchester Yankees players Salt Lake City Gulls players Tucson Toros players Iowa Oaks players Omaha Royals players Portland Beavers players Fort Lauderdale Yankees players Johnson City Yankees players Greensboro Yankees players Oneonta Yankees players Major League Baseball players from Puerto Rico Sportspeople from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico People from Jamaica, Queens American people convicted of child sexual abuse Puerto Rican prisoners and detainees Prisoners and detainees of New York (state) American sportspeople convicted of crimes Sultanes de Monterrey players Puerto Rican expatriate baseball players in Mexico