1977 Profile: Mike Torrez

"Mike pitched well for the A's in their belated pennant drive. He came over from Baltimore in the Jackson-Baylor-Holtzman trade. He had a no-hitter broken up by the Angels' Rusty Torres. Asked why he spelled his name with a 'z' and Rusty spells his with an 's' Mike said, 'I sleep more than Rusty does.'
Ex-Oakland manager Chuck Tanner called Blue and Torrez 'the best lefty-righty combination in baseball.' Are you listening, Seaver and Matlack?
'I feel I pitched better than last year when I won 20 for Baltimore.' Born in Topeka, Kansas, Mike is of Mexican-American heritage. He has already announced he will play without a contract in '77."

-Phil Pepe, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1977 Edition

"Mike Torrez comes to the Yankees with some impressive credentials. The 30-year-old hard-throwing right-hander has averaged 17 wins over the past three seasons. Last year, he posted the fourth-best earned run average in the American League, a sparkling 2.51.
One of baseball's more consistent pitchers over the past few years, Torrez has won two-thirds of his decisions since August of 1974, with a mark of 42-21. His best work is done in the hot summer months. Last year, Mike was 10-3 over the last half of the season with a 1.42 ERA, and in 1975 he was 11-4 over the same stretch.
Ironically, the trade that originally brought Mike to Oakland included Reggie Jackson and Ken Holtzman. Now, he joins forces with them in New York. Welcome aboard, Mike Torrez."

-The New York Yankees Official 1977 Yearbook

"Mike Torrez has been one of baseball's more consistent pitchers the past few years. Since August 6, 1974, he had a combined 42-21 record entering this season. His 2.51 ERA in 1976 was the fourth-best in the American League. He experienced the best season of his career in 1975, going 20-9 for the Baltimore Orioles.
Mike came up in the St. Louis Cardinal organization, making token appearances for the Cards in 1967 and 1968. He then went 10-4 for the Cards in 1969 and was 16-12 for the Expos in 1972. In 1974 he won his final six decisions to finish 15-8, matching Steve Rogers for the Expo staff lead.
He won his first American League game, beating Boston 11-3 on April 13, 1975. He led all AL pitchers with a .690 winning percentage as he became a 20 game winner for the first time.
Mike won 10 of his final 13 decisions last year, with a 1.42 ERA during the final half of the season. He pitched three consecutive shutouts and had a string of 38.1 shutout innings in a row to set an Oakland club record. Mike also had three two-hitters last year.
He's a former baseball and basketball standout at Topeka High School and was an all-state baseball selection. He signed a bonus contract to start his pro career."

-1977 New York Yankees Press/TV/Radio Guide