Héctor Torres
Encyclopedia
Héctor Epitacio Torres Marroquin (born September 16, 1945 in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico) is a former Major League Baseball
shortstop
. He played all or part of nine seasons in the majors, between and , for the Houston Astros
, Chicago Cubs
, Montreal Expos
, San Diego Padres
and Toronto Blue Jays
. He is now the hitting coach of the Bowling Green Hot Rods
.
Torres made his major league debut for the Astros on April 10, 1968. Over a nine year career he had 18 home run
s and a .216 batting average
.
Torres was the first player to play for both Canada
-based Major League teams. After playing for the Montreal Expos in 1972, he was in the starting lineup for the Blue Jays' inaugural game against the Chicago White Sox
at Exhibition Stadium
on April 7, 1977.
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...
shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
. He played all or part of nine seasons in the majors, between and , for the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, 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...
, 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...
, San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
and Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
. He is now the hitting coach of the Bowling Green Hot Rods
Bowling Green Hot Rods
The Bowling Green Hot Rods are a minor league baseball team in Bowling Green, Kentucky. They are a Class A team in the Midwest League, and have been a farm team of the Tampa Bay Rays since September 29, 2006...
.
Torres made his major league debut for the Astros on April 10, 1968. Over a nine year career he had 18 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and a .216 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.
Torres was the first player to play for both Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-based Major League teams. After playing for the Montreal Expos in 1972, he was in the starting lineup for the Blue Jays' inaugural game against the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
at Exhibition Stadium
Exhibition Stadium
Canadian National Exhibition Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
on April 7, 1977.