Cristóbal Torriente

Cristóbal Torriente (November 16, 1893 – April 11, 1938) was a Cuban professional baseball outfielder and pitcher in the Negro leagues with multiple teams, including the Chicago American Giants, which he powered to three consecutive Negro National League pennants from to . He also played extensively in the Cuban Winter League.

He played from 1912 to 1932 and was primarily a pull hitter, though he could hit with power to all fields. He had a stocky and slightly bowlegged build, but was known for deceptive power and a strong, accurate arm from center field. Indianapolis ABC's manager C. I. Taylor stated, "If I see Torriente walking up the other side of the street, I would say, 'There walks a ballclub.'" Torriente was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Early years Torriente was born on November 16, 1893, in Cienfuegos, Cuba. He began his playing career as a pitcher and part-time outfielder at age 17 with his hometown's local amateur side named Yara Club, claiming a juvenile amateur district championship in 1910. At age 17, he joined the Cuban Army and “was assigned to the artillery because he was husky enough to hoist the heavy artillery pieces onto the mules.” At this time, little else is known of Torriente's family and childhood. Again, on August 23, 1915, Torriente kicked umpire Kelly after Kelly called him out when Torriente attempted to steal third base. A fight with Crawford during the game spilled out onto the street after the game, and the two men attacked each other with paving stones left out when street workers were repairing a water main. Rube Foster broke up the fight.

Negro Major Leagues

Chicago American Giants Torriente played on the great Chicago American Giants teams of 1918–1925, and he was a member of the club when they were founding members of the Negro National League in 1920. Torriente led the American Giants to consecutive pennants from 1920 to 1922 while batting .411.352, and .289 for these seasons. He won the inaugural Negro National League batting title in 1920 with a .411 average. He led the league in on-base percentage that year, along with in 1923 and 1924, each over .465. He also had an OPS of over 1.000 in four of his nine full seasons. In 1921, he participated in the second-ever postseason series held between black baseball teams, as the Giants faced the Eastern independent Hilldale Club. While the Giants lost the series three games to two (with one tie), Torriente hit a home run in Game 1.

In 1923, Torriente was ejected from a game in the third inning after objecting to umpire Bert Gholston's call at second base. He reportedly used "awful" language, then threw dirt on the umpire's "newly creased trousers." In 1932, he appeared for the Atlanta Black Crackers and the Cleveland Cubs, independent teams at the time. Torriente finished his major league career with the Louisville Black Caps of the Negro Southern League, pitching a single game in relief. In 1938, Black Crackers manager Don Pelham unsuccessfully attempted to lobby Torriente to return to play, but no records exist of him retaking the field.

Personal life Torriente was notorious for his love of nightlife, and this caused him disputes with team management throughout his career.

In 1918, 24-year-old Torriente registered with the World War I draft. He listed his current occupation as "not working" and living at 3448 Wabash Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. He listed himself as a Cuban citizen and his closest living relative as his mother, Mrs. Felipa Torriente of Havana.

After baseball, Torriente lived briefly in Ybor City, Florida and faded into obscurity.

Death and legacy Torriente died in New York City at age 44, after a long battle with alcoholism and tuberculosis. An old Cuban teammate, Rogelio Crespo, told John Holway that “they draped a Cuban flag over his coffin, and a politician arranged to return the body to Havana,” where it was interred in the Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón with dozens of other Cuban baseball stars. In 1939, he was named to the inaugural class of the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame. The Pittsburgh Courier named Torriente to their All-Time Negro League team in 1952, calling him "a prodigious hitter, a rifle-armed thrower, and a tower of strength on the defense."

In the 2001 book The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, Bill James ranked Torriente as the 67th greatest baseball player ever. Torriente was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. After years of research, his grave was finally identified in 2020 by Dr. Machado Mendoza and his team in the Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón.