Thank you, Andres Torres

Let me preface this by saying that if you have not yet read Grant’s love letter to Andres Torres over at McCovey Chronicles, go ahead and do so. And while you’re at it, watch these Torres videos. Anyway, I’d be remiss if I didn’t pay my own tribute to Torres, as he’s a personal favorite of mine. So here goes… Torres, at his best, could do just about everything. He could hit the ball with astounding authority; he could cover exceptional range in the outfield; he could put up patient, quality at-bats; and he was a force on the basepaths. He was not only capable of impacting the game in many different ways, but he was great at it. In 2010, he was one of the best players in the National League. Out of nowhere. He had overcome a hell of a lot to get to where he was (surely you’ve heard his story by now), and somehow managed to realize his potential. He was, in essence, the manifestation of that beautiful aspect of unpredictability in baseball. Without Torres, the Giants don’t win t...