Aurelio Monteagudo
Encyclopedia
Aurelio Faustino Monteagudo Cintra (icon; November 19, 1943 – November 10, 1990), nicknamed "Monty", was a right-handed screwball
pitcher
who played in Major League Baseball
. He was the son of former big-leaguer René Monteagudo
.
, Villa Clara Province
, Cuba
. He moved to Venezuela
after Fidel Castro's
rise to power in his homeland.
As a 19-year-old rookie, Monteagudo made his majors debut with the Kansas City Athletics
on September 1, 1963. After three-plus seasons with Kansas City, he was dealt to the Houston Astros
on May 17, 1966. At the end of the season, he received Venezuela
n citizenship
. Then, Monteagudo joined the Chicago White Sox
on July 16, 1967 with a new nationality. After a season in Chicago, he played with the Kansas City Royals
(1970) and California Angels
(1973).
In seven seasons, Monteagudo compiled a 3-7 record with 58 strikeout
s, a 5.05 ERA
, four saves, and 132 innings pitched
in 72 games (65 as a reliever
). He played his final majors game on September 28, 1973.
Monteagudo also played 20 seasons in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
with five teams: Caracas
(1963–68), Magallanes (1968), La Guaira
(1968–74, 1976–82) and Portuguesa (1975), compiling a 79-81 record with 897 strikeouts and a 3.37 ERA. On December 20, 1973, Monteagudo kept the Cardenales de Lara
hitless for 8⅔ innings until Faustino Zabala ruined the no-hitter
with a single to center field
.
At the same time, Monteagudo played in the Mexican League with the Puebla
, Coahuila
, Aguascalientes
and Veracruz
clubs. He pitched a no-hitter game against Nuevo Laredo (March 19, 1979) and led the league in strikeouts once (222, in 1978). After retiring in 1981, he started a successfully managerial
career in the league.
Aurelio Monteagudo was killed in a car accident in Saltillo
, Mexico
nine days before his 47th birthday.
Screwball
A screwball , is a baseball pitch that is thrown so as to break in the opposite direction of a slider or curveball. Depending on the pitcher's arm angle, the ball may also have a sinking action....
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who played in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He was the son of former big-leaguer René Monteagudo
René Monteagudo
René Monteagudo Miranda was a Major League Baseball pitcher and outfielder who played with the Washington Senators and Philadelphia Phillies . Monteagudo threw and batted left-handed....
.
Career
Monteagudo was born in CaibariénCaibarién
Caibarién is a municipality city in the Villa Clara province of Cuba.Caibarien is known as "La Villa Blanca" for its sands and beaches. They are famous for their "Parrandas" along with Remedios and Camajuani.-History:The town was founded on October 26, 1832 from a map designed by Estratón Bauza...
, Villa Clara Province
Villa Clara Province
Villa Clara is one of the provinces of Cuba. It is located in the central region of the island bordering with the Atlantic at north, Matanzas Province by west, Sancti Spiritus by east, and Cienfuegos on the South. Villa Clara shares with Cienfuegos and Sancti Spiritus on the south the Escambray...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. He moved to Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
after Fidel Castro's
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
rise to power in his homeland.
As a 19-year-old rookie, Monteagudo made his majors debut with the Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
on September 1, 1963. After three-plus seasons with Kansas City, he was dealt to the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
on May 17, 1966. At the end of the season, he received Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
. Then, Monteagudo joined the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
on July 16, 1967 with a new nationality. After a season in Chicago, he played with the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
(1970) and California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
(1973).
In seven seasons, Monteagudo compiled a 3-7 record with 58 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s, a 5.05 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, four saves, and 132 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
in 72 games (65 as a reliever
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
). He played his final majors game on September 28, 1973.
Monteagudo also played 20 seasons in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional is the highest level baseball league in Venezuela.-Brief history:Baseball exploded in Venezuela in 1941, following the world championship in Havana....
with five teams: Caracas
Leones del Caracas
The Leones del Caracas is a Venezuelan baseball team that plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Since its inception, the team has played in the Estadio Universitario in Caracas...
(1963–68), Magallanes (1968), La Guaira
Tiburones de La Guaira
The Tiburones de La Guaira are a baseball team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Based in the city of La Guaira, the Tiburones have won seven national championships since their founding in 1962.-History:...
(1968–74, 1976–82) and Portuguesa (1975), compiling a 79-81 record with 897 strikeouts and a 3.37 ERA. On December 20, 1973, Monteagudo kept the Cardenales de Lara
Cardenales de Lara
The Cardenales de Lara is a baseball team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Founded in 1942 and based in Barquisimeto, the Cardenales have won four domestic titles, the most recent in 2001.-Notable players:* Luis Sojo* Luis Leal...
hitless for 8⅔ innings until Faustino Zabala ruined the no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
with a single to center field
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
.
At the same time, Monteagudo played in the Mexican League with the Puebla
Pericos de Puebla
The Pericos de Puebla are a baseball team that has been a member of the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol since 2000. They have existed on and off since 1942 in various other leagues...
, Coahuila
Coahuila
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
, Aguascalientes
Los Rieleros
Los Rieleros was the name of the baseball team of Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico. In 2008, the Rieleros de Aguascalientes were transferred to Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas and were renamed the Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo....
and Veracruz
Rojos del Aguila de Veracruz
The Rojos del Águila de Veracruz are a AAA-level baseball team playing in the Mexican League.They play at the Estadio Universitario Beto Ávila in Veracruz, Veracruz....
clubs. He pitched a no-hitter game against Nuevo Laredo (March 19, 1979) and led the league in strikeouts once (222, in 1978). After retiring in 1981, he started a successfully managerial
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
career in the league.
Aurelio Monteagudo was killed in a car accident in Saltillo
Saltillo
Saltillo is the capital city of the northeastern Mexican state of Coahuila and the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name. The city is located about 400 km south of the U.S. state of Texas, and 90 km west of Monterrey, Nuevo León....
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
nine days before his 47th birthday.
Trivia
- Monteagudo was one of four players (fellow pitchers Moe DrabowskyMoe DrabowskyMyron Walter Drabowsky was a Polish-American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs , Milwaukee Braves , Cincinnati Reds , Kansas City Athletics , Baltimore Orioles , Kansas City Royals , St...
, Ken SandersKen SandersFor the football player of the same name see Ken Sanders .Kenneth George Sanders is a former professional baseball player...
and Dave WickershamDave WickershamDavid Clifford Wickersham is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1960 through 1969, he played for the Kansas City Athletics , Detroit Tigers , Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals . Wickersham batted and threw right-handed...
being the other three) to play for both Kansas City-based Major League teams—the Athletics and Royals. - There have been three players in major league history named Aurelio, and all three were killed in car accidents between the ages of 44 and 53. See also Aurelio RodríguezAurelio RodríguezAurelio Rodríguez Ituarte, Jr. , was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the California Angels , Washington Senators , Detroit Tigers , San Diego Padres , New York Yankees , Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles...
and Aurelio LópezAurelio LópezAurelio Alejandro López was a Mexican relief pitcher. Over the course of an eleven year Major League career , he acquired the nickname "Señor Smoke" in Detroit due to his Mexican heritage and his overpowering fastball, which had been measured as high as 93 mph.-Early career:Born in Tecamachalco,...
.
See also
- List of players from Cuba in Major League Baseball
- List of second generation Major League Baseball players