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Bryan Torres Shows Up Early, Delivers Big Time for Cardinals Needing his Swagger
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- Bryan Torres Shows Up Early, Delivers Big Time for Cardinals Needing his Swagger
Roundtable Sports' John Denton breaks down Bryan Torres ' game-winning, two-run homer from Sunday's 2-1 win for the Cardinals over the Marlins .
At 28 years old, Bryan Torres is one of the eldest players ona St. Louis Cardinals club known for its youth and feistiness. Still, he's justa rookie and he knows his place on the team and how to stay out of the way ofother more-established players.
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To get his work in without disrupting the rhythms of playersalmost always in the starting lineup, Torres makes it a habit to showup at least a half hour before the club's report time. It's something he practiceddoing throughout the 11 years he spent in the Minor Leagues and in IndependentLeague baseball while trying to get to the big leagues. Since his MLB call-upon May 23, Torres has stuck with his early-arrival plan to make sure he gets inas much pregame work as possible without disrupting others around him.
"I'm here early in the stadium and putting some work in andfor me, it's just part of my routine," Torres told reporters. "If I get here 30minutes earlier, I can put in 30 more minutes of work and I'm 30 minutes aheadof the day.
"I enjoy the process. I fell in love with the process andnot just the results. The process is going to give you the results."
Torres got the results he was looking for on Sunday when helaid off two inside fastballs and got the sinker he was looking for in Sunday'ssecond inning. He ripped that pitch 364 feet and over the wall in right fieldfor a two-run homer that paved the way for the Cardinals' 2-1 win over the Marlins . Torres' smash was a much-needed lift for a Cardinals club that hadbeen struggling offensively of late and had scored just one run in the previous19 innings against the streaking Marlins.
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"I haven't had a ton of at bats, but I am still a part ofthis team, and it really hurts us when the team doesn't win," Torres said followinghis third homer of the season. "For me to be able to help the team win aftertwo tough games offensively, it's awesome. Every time that you can contributeto help the team win, it's amazing."
The homer that left the bat at 100.3 mph was Torres' firsthit since June 7. He said it shouldn't matter how often he's been in games withall the resources available to MLB players to stay ready for theiropportunities. Cardinals' manager Oliver Marmol said he can see the hunger inTorres considering that he had to work more than a decade at the Minor Leaguelevel to make his big-league dreams come true. All that work has helped to builda steely resolve inside of the 5-foot7, 165-pound utility fielder.
"He has enough confidence for all of us," Marmol said witha chuckle. "He believes in his abilities big time, and he's really just hungryfor an opportunity. When you were down there in the Minor Leagues for as longas he was, you have (have confidence), right? So, he's oozing with confidence."
Cardinals Still Hoping to See Throwing Improvement from Catcher Ivan Herrera
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Cards will need Torres' confidence over tough stretch
The Cardinals are going to need to play with confidence overthe next two weeks considering the grueling stretch they have leading up to thebreak for the MLB All-Star Game. Following Monday's night off, the Cards playthree in Atlanta and three in Chicago against the rival Cubs over the Fourth ofJuly holiday weekend.
Then, after returning to Busch Stadium, the Cardinals willplay the National League Central-leading Brewers five times in a four-daystretch. Finally, they close with three more against the Braves before breakingfor the Midsummer Classic.
Torres, who has a triple and three homers among his 11 hitsin 20 MLB games, believes in the power of positive thinking. He is planning onstaying ready, so that he doesn't have to hurriedly get ready if and when theCardinals need him the next time.
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"I'm a believer that the process is going to give you theresults," he said of his consistent work ethic. "If you have a good process andyou prepare the right way, the results are going to be good every time.
"Baseball is more mental than physical. You've got to be strongand positive mentally every time."
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