Salomón Torres

Infobox MLB player


caption=Torres throwing a pitch for the Pittsburgh Pirates
width=300
name=Salomón Torres
position=Relief pitcher
team=Milwaukee Brewers
number=16
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1972|3|11
debutdate=August 29
debutyear=1993
debutteam=San Francisco Giants
statyear=July 11, 2008
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=41-55
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=522
stat2label=Earned Run Average
stat2value=4.30
stat4label=Saves
stat4value=44
teams=
*San Francisco Giants (by|1993-by|1995)
*Seattle Mariners (by|1995-by|1997)
*Montreal Expos (by|1997)
*Pittsburgh Pirates (by|2002-by|2007)
*Milwaukee Brewers (by|2008-present)

Salomón Ramirez Torres (born March 11, 1972 in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic) is the closer for the Milwaukee Brewers of the National League. He began his career in by|1993 with the San Francisco Giants, and has also played for the Seattle Mariners of the American League, the Montreal Expos, and the Pittsburgh Pirates of the NL.

Professional career

Torres is best-known for starting the last game of the by|1993 season for the Giants, when he gave up three runs over 3⅓ innings to the arch-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. The Giants, winners of 103 games that season, finished in second place behind the 104-win Atlanta Braves, at that time in the National League West division. Giants fans blamed Torres for ruining a promising season and apparently never forgave him; he is still heckled when he returns to San Francisco as an opposing player. Said Torres: "They come to the park and they pay my salary, so they have the right to heckle me. If that's going to make them feel better and get over what happened in 1993, OK. But it's time to move on.... I don't think I was treated fairly by some of my teammates. And I still don't think I'm being treated fairly by the fans."cite web|url = http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060610&content_id=1498818&vkey=news_pit&fext=.jsp&c_id=pit |title = Notes: C. Wilson used to trade talk: But Pirate appears to be taking these rumors more seriously | accessdate = 2007-01-31 |date=2006-06-10 |first = Ed |last = Eagle |work = MLB.com]

After ending the by|1997 season with a 9.82 ERA, Torres retired and returned to the Dominican Republic to coach for the Expos' Dominican Summer League team. In by|2001, he decided to make a comeback, and spent the year playing in the Dominican Winter League and in Korea. He signed with the Pirates in January of by|2002, spending most of the year with the Triple-A team in Nashville before being called up in September. He split the by|2003 season between starting and relief work before being moved to the bullpen full-time in by|2004. During an April 2003 game for the Pirates, Torres impacted Sammy Sosa's career. He hit Sosa in the head with an errant fastball that shattered his helmet.

He served as the Pirates setup reliever in by|2006, before closer Mike González was injured. That year, his 94 pitching appearances led the major leagues and tied the Pirates record held by Kent Tekulve. González was traded to the Atlanta Braves before the start of the by|2007 season, making Torres the Pirates' top choice for closer entering the 2007 season. After blowing four saves for the Pirates, he was demoted from the closer role and replaced with Matt Capps. [cite news|url = http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07007/751907-63.stm |title = Hot Stove: LaRoche remains hot topic with Pirates including players |first = Dejan |last = Kovacevic |date=2007-01-07 |accessdate = 2007-01-07 |work = Pittsburgh Post Gazette]

Torres was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers on December 7, 2007, for Kevin Roberts and Marino Salas. After beginning the by|2008 season as a middle reliever, Torres was moved into the closer's role when Eric Gagné was put on the disabled list. As of July 3, Torres is 14 for 15 in save opportunites since the move. The Brewers have announced that Torres will remain as closer, even after Gagne is activated from the DL. On September 18th, Torres blew his 8th and most costly save of the season to the Chicago Cubs giving up 4 runs with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the 9th. Torres struggled mightily towards the end of the season, however. He posted an ERA over 6.00 in the month of September.

During the middle of the 2008 season, Torres stated in an interview that he wasn't sure about his future in baseball, possibly indicating that 2008 would in fact be the 36 year-olds last season.

Personal life

Torres is a devout Jehovah's Witness. [Perrotto, John. " [http://www.timesonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18549657&BRD=2305&PAG=461&dept_id=478568&rfi=6 Littlefield's Dubious Distinction] ", the Beaver County Times, published July 3, 2007, accessed July 4, 2007.]

He is married to Belkis Denia Donato and has two daughters and a boy: Ashley born in 2001, Allison born in 2003 and Jordan born in 2007.

References

External links