Salomón Torres
Encyclopedia
Salomón Torres Ramirez is a former Major League Baseball
player. He began his career in with the San Francisco Giants
, and also played for the Seattle Mariners
, Montreal Expos
, Pittsburgh Pirates
, and Milwaukee Brewers
.
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. Though he was then in his first month as a Major Leaguer, some 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."
in mid-1995 for Shawn Estes
and Wilson Delgado
. After two years with the Mariners, he was claimed off waivers by the Montreal Expos
in mid-1997. After ending the season with a 9.82 ERA
, Torres retired and returned to the Dominican Republic
to coach for the Expos' Dominican Summer League team.
. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates
in January of , spending most of the year with the Triple-A team in Nashville
before being called up in September. He split the season between starting and relief work before being moved to the bullpen
full-time in . During an April 2003 game for the Pirates, Torres hit Sammy Sosa
in the head with an errant fastball that shattered his helmet.
He served as the Pirates setup reliever in , 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 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
.
on December 7, 2007, for Kevin Roberts
and Marino Salas
. After beginning the season as a middle reliever, Torres was moved into the closer's role when Éric Gagné
was put on the disabled list
, a role Torres kept for the rest of the year. On September 18, Torres blew his 7th 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.
His season, though was relatively solid: 28 saves in 35 chances, 51 strikeouts in 80 innings of work, an ERA of 3.41, and a record of 7-5. During his time in Milwaukee, he introduced a new strike-out pitch in which he dropped down to a side-arm delivery.
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-old's last season. This turned out to be the case when on November 11, Torres revealed to Brewers GM Doug Melvin
that he will indeed be retiring from baseball.
.
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.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. He began his career in with the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, and also played for the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
, Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
, Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, and Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
San Francisco Giants
Torres is best known for starting the last game of the 1993 season for the Giants, when he gave up three runsRun (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
over 3⅓ innings to the arch-rival Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. The Giants, winners of 103 games that season, finished in second place behind the 104-win Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, at that time in the National League West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
division. Though he was then in his first month as a Major Leaguer, some 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."
Mariners and Expos and first retirement
The Giants traded Torres to the Seattle MarinersSeattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
in mid-1995 for Shawn Estes
Shawn Estes
Aaron Shawn Estes is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. After he attended Douglas High School in Minden, Nevada, he was offered a scholarship by Stanford University...
and Wilson Delgado
Wilson Delgado
Wilson Delgado Duran is a former professional baseball player who played shortstop in the major leagues from -.-Suspension from MLB:...
. After two years with the Mariners, he was claimed off waivers by the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
in mid-1997. After ending the season with a 9.82 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, Torres retired and returned to the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
to coach for the Expos' Dominican Summer League team.
Comeback with Pirates
In , Torres decided to make a comeback, and spent the year playing in the Dominican Winter League and in KoreaKorean Baseball Organization
Korea Professional Baseball is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The Korean romanization is Hanguk Peuro Yagu , a league title which mirrors Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. Korea Professional Baseball was originally founded with six teams in 1982 and currently has eight...
. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in January of , spending most of the year with the Triple-A team in Nashville
Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League , and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry...
before being called up in September. He split the season between starting and relief work before being moved to the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
full-time in . During an April 2003 game for the Pirates, Torres hit Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa
Samuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989-2007....
in the head with an errant fastball that shattered his helmet.
He served as the Pirates setup reliever in , 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
Kent Tekulve
Kenton Charles Tekulve is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 16-year baseball career, he pitched for three different teams, but spent most of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
. González was traded to the Atlanta Braves before the start of the 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
Matt Capps
Matthew Dicus Capps , is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He is a 2002 graduate of Alexander High School in Douglasville, where he lettered in football, basketball, cross-country and baseball before receiving a scholarship at LSU...
.
Milwaukee Brewers
Torres was traded to the Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
on December 7, 2007, for Kevin Roberts
Kevin Roberts
Kevin John Roberts has been the Chief Executive Officer Worldwide of the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi since 1997. In September 2006, Saatchi & Saatchi won a US$430 million JC Penney contract because of the idea of lovemarks, which was invented and promoted by Roberts.-Early life and career...
and Marino Salas
Marino Salas
Marino Salas Ortega is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent....
. After beginning the season as a middle reliever, Torres was moved into the closer's role when Éric Gagné
Éric Gagné
Éric Serge Gagné is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.Signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in 1995, Gagné began his career as a starting pitcher...
was put on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
, a role Torres kept for the rest of the year. On September 18, Torres blew his 7th and most costly save of the season to the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
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
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
over 6.00 in the month of September.
His season, though was relatively solid: 28 saves in 35 chances, 51 strikeouts in 80 innings of work, an ERA of 3.41, and a record of 7-5. During his time in Milwaukee, he introduced a new strike-out pitch in which he dropped down to a side-arm delivery.
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-old's last season. This turned out to be the case when on November 11, Torres revealed to Brewers GM Doug Melvin
Doug Melvin
Douglas Robert Melvin is a Canadian front office executive in Major League Baseball who currently serves as the general manager of the Milwaukee Brewers of the National League...
that he will indeed be retiring from baseball.
Personal life
Torres is one of Jehovah's WitnessesJehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
.
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.