Cardinals' utility fielder Bryan Torres, who worked in the Minor League and Independent Leagues for 11 years to get to the big leagues, has always made it a habit to show up to the stadium at least a half-hour early to get his work in -- whether he's in the lineup or not.
At 28 years old, Bryan Torres is one of the eldest players on a St. Louis Cardinals club known for its youth and feistiness. Still, he’s just a rookie and he knows his place on the team and how to stay out of the way of other more-established players.
To get his work in without disrupting the rhythms of players almost always in the starting lineup, Torres makes it a habit to show up at least a half hour before the club’s report time. It’s something he practiced doing throughout the 11 years he spent in the Minor Leagues and in Independent League baseball while trying to get to the big leagues. Since his MLB call-up on May 23, Torres has stuck with his early-arrival plan to make sure he gets in as much pregame work as possible without disrupting others around him.
“I’m here early in the stadium and putting some work in and for me, it’s just part of my routine,” Torres told reporters. “If I get here 30 minutes earlier, I can put in 30 more minutes of work and I’m 30 minutes ahead of the day.
“I enjoy the process. I fell in love with the process and not just the results. The process is going to give you the results.”
Torres got the results he was looking for on Sunday when he laid off two inside fastballs and got the sinker he was looking for in Sunday’s second inning. He ripped that pitch 364 feet and over the wall in right field for 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 had been struggling offensively of late and had scored just one run in the previous 19 innings against the streaking Marlins.
“I haven’t had a ton of at bats, but I am still a part of this team, and it really hurts us when the team doesn’t win,” Torres said following his third homer of the season. “For me to be able to help the team win after two tough games offensively, it’s awesome. Every time that you can contribute to help the team win, it’s amazing.”
The homer that left the bat at 100.3 mph was Torres’ first hit since June 7. He said it shouldn’t matter how often he’s been in games with all the resources available to MLB players to stay ready for their opportunities. Cardinals’ manager Oliver Marmol said he can see the hunger in Torres considering that he had to work more than a decade at the Minor League level to make his big-league dreams come true. All that work has helped to build a steely resolve inside of the 5-foot7, 165-pound utility fielder.
“He has enough confidence for all of us,” Marmol said with a chuckle. “He believes in his abilities big time, and he’s really just hungry for an opportunity. When you were down there in the Minor Leagues for as long as he was, you have (have confidence), right? So, he’s oozing with confidence.”
Cards will need Torres' confidence over tough stretch
The Cardinals are going to need to play with confidence over the next two weeks considering the grueling stretch they have leading up to the break for the MLB All-Star Game. Following Monday’s night off, the Cards play three in Atlanta and three in Chicago against the rival Cubs over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Then, after returning to Busch Stadium, the Cardinals will play the National League Central-leading Brewers five times in a four-day stretch. Finally, they close with three more against the Braves before breaking for the Midsummer Classic.
Torres, who has a triple and three homers among his 11 hits in 20 MLB games, believes in the power of positive thinking. He is planning on staying ready, so that he doesn’t have to hurriedly get ready if and when the Cardinals need him the next time.
“I’m a believer that the process is going to give you the results,” he said of his consistent work ethic. “If you have a good process and you prepare the right way, the results are going to be good every time.
“Baseball is more mental than physical. You’ve got to be strong and positive mentally every time.”
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