During the 2009 season, former Dodgers right-handed reliever Ramon Troncoso was good – very good, in fact. He was so good that Dodgers manager Joe Torre called upon him 73 times that season – more than any other Dodger reliever. Every time the bullpen phone rang, Troncoso was up to the challenge; but then, what was he going to do, tell Torre no? You do that and you won’t be in the big leagues very long.

In his 82.2 innings of work – again, more than any other Dodger reliever – Troncoso posted a 5-4 record with a very good 2.72 ERA. He struck out 55 while walking 34. But after his three scoreless innings of work in the ill-fated 2009 NLCS, Ramon Troncoso was done; not just done for the season but done as in broken. Torre had simply over-worked the quiet and likable 26-year-old San Jose de Ocoa, Dominican Republic native and he would never pitch the same again.

Troncoso was lights out in 2009. But his overuse by Dodgers manager Joe Torre would have a devastating impact on his career. (Photo credit – Jayne Kamin

Although Troncoso split time between Triple-A Albuquerque and Dodger Stadium in 2010 and 2011, it was clear that the damage was done; much like the damage that Joe Torre had done to Cory Wade in 2008. Troncoso went 2-3 with a 4.33 ERA in 54 innings with the Dodgers in 2010 and was 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in 22 innings in 2011. He would spend the entire 2012 season in Albuquerque with a misleading 4-1 record because of his 6.67 ERA and was not re-signed after becoming a free agent at the end of the season.

With youth still on his side, Troncoso was picked up during the off-season by the Chicago White Sox and while playing in the Dominican Winter League he was struck in the mouth by a line drive that knocked out four lower teeth. “It wasn’t too bad,” Troncoso told ESPN’s Doug Padilla. “I thought it was going to be worse when the ball hit me. But in a week I was ready again.” But in spite of his readiness, Troncoso posted a 1-4 record and 4.50 ERA in 30 innings pitched for the White Sox and he was let go at the end of the season.

Refusing to quit, Troncoso signed a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals on March 14, 2014 but was released on July 21, 2014, having never made it out of Triple-A Omaha where he was 1-6 with a 4.30 ERA.

By every indication the soon-to-be 32-year-old Troncoso (on Monday) had reached the end of his professional career – until last Saturday, that is.

In a bit of a surprising move, the Dodgers signed Troncoso to a minor league deal. The deal, however, does not include an invitation to major league spring training camp and gives every indication of being nothing more than adding pitching depth for the Dodgers new Triple-A affiliate Oklahoma City Dodgers.

But you know what? I can assure you that there is no one, absolutely no one on the planet happier than Ramon Troncoso right about now. And one can only hope that the Dodgers will get the opportunity to right a wrong done to him by Joe Torre should Troncoso be fortunate enough to make it back to The Show.

Godspeed to you, Ramon.