Hector Torres

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (RSE)–Hitting coach Hector Torres made his mark in the baseball world early in life and it wasn’t helping the GCL Tampa Bay Rays prospects to hit a baseball.  A shortstop through-out his nine year major league career, Torres gained fame in his native Monterey, Mexico.  As a 12-year old Torres was the winning pitcher in the championship game for the 1958 Little League World Champions from Monterey.  With the LL World Series now underway Torres said he doesn’t think that throwing a curve will harm a young hurlers arm, during an informal discussion with me last Tuesday.  In fact Torres showed me how he threw it then and now, it was a natural motion that appeared not to injure a young man’s arm.  Torres’ father didn’t want him afterwards to pitch but concentrate on his field position, shortstop.  Torres on the other hand wanted to play soccer.  Torres was the Toronto Blue Jays first ever opening day shortstop, and then later in that 1977 season was the first Blue Jay to hit a grand slam home run.