1977 mike torrez

while o-pee-chee didn't correct the vertigo-inducing background like they did with rawly eastwick, they did slightly adjust the placement of mike torrez's facsimile autograph.  here is his 1977 o-pee-chee card:

here's the topps front:

now the o-pee-chee back:

and the topps back:

torrez made only 4 starts for the a's in 1977, but was 3-1 with 2 complete games in those starts.  after his fourth game, he was traded to the yankees for dock ellis, marty perez, and larry murray.  he won his first two starts for new york, including a complete game victory against his former oakland teammates in his second game in pinstripes.  after that, he went 3-9 heading into his last start in july.  that start, a complete game 4-hit victory against the orioles, kicked off a stretch of seven starts in which torrez was 7-0 with 7 complete games - one a shutout (a 2-hitter against oakland, of all teams).  he finished the season at 17-13 with 17 complete games.

to make things worse (for me, anyway) torrez took that level of dominance into the 1977 world series. he won two games against the dodgers in the fall classic, throwing complete games in game 2 and the game 6 clincher. i was even more ticked at torrez the following year when bucky dent hit that home run against him (torrez signed a free agent deal with the red sox prior to the 1978 season) to win the al east for the yankees.

voici à vous, 1977 mike torrez!