National baseball is mourning after knowing the death of Carmelo Enrique Torrebiarte Martínezbetter known as “Rag” Torrebiarte.
Recognized as the maximum star that Guatemalan baseball has had, Torrebiarte died this Thursday, May 22, 2025, at the age of 95.
The cause of his death was natural, as the family informed the National Baseball Federation, an entity that made the news public.
Who was Enrique Torrebiarte?
Carmelo Enrique Torrebiarte Martínez was born in Mataquescuintla, Jalapa, in 1930. He got involved in baseball since the age of 14, forming a team with several friends.
In 1944 he was part of the Patis teamname that represented the initials of each of the founders of the novena. That same year, the team was called atomic and began playing in the Second Division of the National League.
Torrebiarte was one of the most complete players, since he played in all positions, highlighting in each of them, although the one he least performed was the receiver.
“Cache about three times if much; I stopped doing it because they folded my middle finger from my right hand in a launch”he mentioned in an interview with the Sports Museum.
The former benefit He particularly enjoyed the launcher, hostel in short and central gardener, where he played for many years.
“I enjoyed them all. At the beginning, with atomic I went pitcher, but I left it because there was Jesus Acosta” The whip. “Then I was a short hurr, then central gardener, which was what I played longer. Those were the positions that I liked the most. I also developed in all the others,” he said at the time.
Subsequently, Enrique Torrebiarte became part of the University of San Carlos team In the First Division, from 1958 to 1974, the year in which he retired.
He was an exemplary athlete who inspired many to the practice of this sport. He consecrated several occasions national champion and, with the national team, he participated in various international tournaments.
Why did they say “rag”?
To Enrique Torrebiarte He was nicknamed “rag” in the forties, due to how lazy his uniforms used, A unique style that characterized him throughout his career.
After his retirement, the player He received one of the most important tributes of national sport: The baptism of the baseball stadium with its name. The old Minerva Park was renamed Enrique “Trapo” Torrebiartethe most emblematic baseball enclosure in Guatemala.
Its traditional number 17 He is immortalized in the central garden fence of the enclosure that bears his name.