Antonio Torres (baseball)
| Antonio Torres | |
|---|---|
| Outfielder / Manager | |
| Born: August 18, 1931 Cartagena, Colombia | |
| Died: December 16, 2023 (aged 92) Cartagena, Colombia | |
Batted: Unknown Threw: Unknown | |
Medals |
Antonio Eduardo Torres López (August 18, 1931 – December 16, 2023), nicknamed "Manía," was a Colombian professional baseball player and coach. He managed the Colombia national baseball team in several international tournaments in the 1970s.
Born in Cartagena, Torres grew up idolizing the exploits of pitcher Carlos "Petaca" Rodríguez, earning his nickname from imitating Petaca's facial expressions on the mound.[1] As a teen, he played with the Cundinamarca team in the Colombian amateur championship, and became one of the first Colombian players to sign with an organized baseball team, joining the Baltimore Orioles organization.[2]
In the Colombian Professional Baseball League, Torres played two seasons with the Indios de Cartagena, before being traded to Vanytor de Barranquilla in 1950.[3][4] With Vanytor, he participated in the 1958 Pan American Series, an international club tournament against the Leones de León of Nicaragua and Venados de Mazatlán of Mexico; he took on managerial duties for Vanytor after manager Ted Narleski returned to the United States.[5] He also managed Cinco Estrellas de Granada in the 1957 Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League.[6][3]
"Manía" Torres managed of the Colombia national team in appearances at eight Amateur World Series, two Pan American Games tournaments, two Bolivarian Games, and several minor tournaments and exhibitions. The "Sons of Mania" team won gold at the 1973 Bolivarian Games, earning Colombia its first gold medal in a competition traditionally dominated by Venezuela. He also collected three silver medals and three bronze medals.[2]
Torres retired from baseball at age 65, and instead entered politics, as part of a group aligned with Álvaro Gómez Hurtado.[3] He died on December 16, 2023, at his residence in Alto Bosque, Cartagena, after three years of battling coronary disease.[7] Following his death, he was honored with an award by the Colombian Olympic Committee for his contributions to baseball in the country.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "'Manía' Torres, el hombre del 'dream team' del béisbol colombiano". El Tiempo. 27 January 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Murió Antonio "Manía" Torres López, leyenda del béisbol colombiano". El Universal. 16 December 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
- ^ a b c "'Manía' Torres, una vieja gloria del béisbol colombiano". El Espectador. 9 February 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
- ^ "Colombian Rosters". The Sporting News. 10 October 1956. p. 33.
- ^ "The Pan-American Series of 1958" (PDF). The National Pastime: A Review of Baseball History (14): 70. Summer 1994.
- ^ "Ten Latin-American Winter Loops Now in O. B. Program". The Sporting News. 25 September 1957. p. 33.
- ^ "In Memorian. Antonio Manía Torres: amor eterno por el béisbol". Olimpicocol.co. Colombian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
- ^ "Premios Altius: Colombia y sus atletas sobresalientes". AIPS America. 19 January 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)