Rosendo "Rusty" Torres Hernández (born September 30, 1948) is a former professional baseball outfielder. He played all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball for five different teams. In an odd coincidence, Torres happened to be in the ballpark when forfeits were called in three different games in the 1970s.
Early life
Born in Puerto Rico, Torres came to live in New York City early in life, attending Queens Vocational High School in Jamaica, Queens. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 54th round of the 1966 Major League Baseball Draft.
Professional career
Early minor league career
Torres debuted professionally in 1967 with the rookie league Johnson City Yankees, and also played for three other teams in the Yankees organization that year: the Oneonta Yankees, the Fort Lauderdale Yankees, and the Greensboro Yankees. He batted a combined .247 in 75 games.
In 1968, Torres returned to Fort Lauderdale, where he batted just .229 in 126 games. He spent his third season at class-A with the Kinston Eagles in 1969, batting .270 with 13 home runs. This performance earned Torres a promotion to Double-A.
Playing for the Manchester Yankees, he missed much of the 1970 season due to injury, appearing in just 41 games and batting .244. Still, Torres was promoted to Triple-A in 1971. Playing for the Syracuse Chiefs, Torres batted .290 with 19 home runs in 133 games, earning himself a call-up to the Yankees in September.
New York Yankees
Torres made his major league debut as a 22-year-old with the New York Yankees on September 20, 1971, recording a single in four plate appearances against Baltimore. He finished 1971 with a .385 batting average, with 10 hits in 26 at bats.
Forfeit #1: Senators' last game in Washington
On the same day as Torres' debut, the Washington Senators announced they would move to Dallas/Fort Worth for the 1972 season. After a 4-for-5 day (with his first major league home run) against Detroit on September 26, the Yankees started Torres in right field for their final three games of the season in Washington – the Senators final home stand. On the season's final day, September 30 (Torres' 23rd birthday), the Senators led 7–5 with two outs in the top of the ninth when Yankee Horace Clarke stepped to the plate, with Torres (who already had two hits including a homer) on deck. Suddenly, outraged Senators fans stormed the field, causing the game to be forfeited to New York. In a 2007 interview, Torres recalled: "Bobby Murcer hits a ground ball. He gets thrown out at first. They thought it was three outs. It was only two outs. And they rushed us! They rushed the field. They took dirt. People were taking dirt, taking the bases. They were tearing up the seats. It was unbelievable. That was a real scary experience. Thankfully, none of us got hurt."
1972
In 1972, Torres made the Yankees out of spring training, appearing on Opening Day as a pinch hitter. However, he hit just .211 in 175 at bats through July 22, and was demoted to Syracuse. Torres was later recalled by the Yankees on September 1, but finished the season with a .211 batting average in 199 at bats. He, along with John Ellis, Charlie Spikes and Jerry Kenney, was traded from the Yankees to the Cleveland Indians for Graig Nettles and Jerry Moses at the Winter Meetings on November 27, 1972.
Cleveland Indians
Torres was the Indians' Opening Day right fielder and leadoff hitter in 1973. He started 51 games in right field for the Indians, more than any other player. Overall, he appeared in 121 games in his first full major league season, but hit just .205. Still, his defensive skills were enough for him to claim a regular spot in the lineup of the lowly Indians.
They were not, however, enough for him to keep that spot in . John Lowenstein moved into the lineup as the everyday left fielder, with Charlie Spikes moving into Torres' position in right field. With Leron Lee also joining the team, Torres became the Indians' fifth outfielder.