Cristóbal Torriente: "the man who defeated Ruth"

For almost all, this cienfueguero has been one of the great Cuban stars that a baseball land has stepped on. Torriente was an extraordinary batter of being able, whom it liked to throw to him to the bad balls and that counted on hermetic an affluent defense in the central garden.

One began in Cuba with the Habana in 1913 and later it dressed franelas the Almedares in three consecutive championships until 1915-16. It was not in the series of 1917, 1918 and 1919, and returned with the Blue ones in 1919-20 and 1920-21. In 1921, and 1922-23 it participated in Cuban Liga with the Red ones of the Habana.

It divided the joust of 1923-24 between the Habana and Marianao, but it returned with the Red ones in the following season. There Network Sox stayed until 1926, because in 1926-27 it played with Cuba and the Almendares, finalizing its performance with the Havana.

In its 12 years in Cuba it took part in 358 challenges, and managed to beat to him to the ball for 352 of average. It twice led the circuit in doublets, three in quadrangular inatrapables and. In addition, Torriente was champion bat in 1914-15 (387) and 1919-20 (360). In a called match Great Prize celebrated in the Almendares Park in 1924, concluded like leader of the batters with average of 337.

It made debut in Ligas Black of the United States with the Cuban Stars in 1914, and later it played with the Chicago American Giants between 1918 and 1925. From 1920 to 1922 it guided its equipment to 3 consecutive crowns, batting for 411, 338 and 342. He was leader of the league in 1920 (411) and 1923 (412).

In 1926 they changed it to the Kansas City Monarchs where also one stood out excessively. Later Union Giants, Atlanta Black Crackers and Cleveland Cubs participated with the Detroit Stars, Gilkerson´s, concluding its race in Ligas Black with 333 of average. Against the sets of Great Leagues it accumulated average of 313.

In the defensive aspect so good era, that when reported to the Chicago Americans Giants in 1918, to the great Oscar Charleston transferred it towards the left garden, so that Torriente occupied its position.

But the most famous fact in its beisbolera life happened the 4 of November of 1920 in the Almendares Park, when in a party of exhibition in front of the Giants of New York, shot three home runs, to the time that the matchless Babe Ruth, considered the best player of all the times in the United States, went away in target without being able to remove the ball from the park. It died to the 43 years of age in the city of New York, product of the tuberculosis and in the extreme poverty.

With time, its liking by the alcohol increased instead of diminishing, causing that died of tuberculosis, in the most frightful poverty, the city from New York to the 43 anualls of age. Its corpse was sent to Cuba, where grave occurred him to Christian, surrounded in a Cuban flag. It was raised to the Hall FAMA of the Cuban Baseball in the first year of selection, 1939.