We hear all the time what a tough, unforgiving town this is, especially for baseball players, especially for Yankees.

Kyle Schwarber remembers all three pitches, each nastier than the one before. “It was 100 [mph], down and in. Strike one,” he said the other day. “Then it was 99, up and in, and I thought I was close.

It sounds simple, but it’s remarkably difficult. Torres was rewarded with a well-deserved All-Star selection, his first since ...