Dan Monzon
Encyclopedia
Daniel Francisco Monzon (May 17, 1946 — January 21, 1996) was an American
professional baseball
infielder
, manager
and scout. A third baseman
, primarily in minor league baseball
, he appeared in 94 games for the Minnesota Twins
of Major League Baseball
in 1972-73. He threw and batted right-handed, stood 5 feet, 9 inches (1.75 m) tall and weighed 175 pounds (79 kg).
A native of Bronx, New York, Monzon graduated from James Monroe High School
in 1964 and attended Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa
. He was drafted by the Twins in the second round of the secondary phase of the June 1967 Major League Baseball draft, and enjoyed his finest professional season that year with the Short Season-A Auburn Twins
, leading the New York-Penn League in runs scored
, total bases
, and triples
, tying for the lead in runs batted in, and finishing second in batting average
(.338).
Monzon also enjoyed stellar seasons in the Double-A Southern League
and Triple-A Pacific Coast League
, but his two seasons with the MLB Twins saw him play a utility role, appearing at second
and third base, shortstop
, and in the outfield
. He batted .244 with no home runs and nine RBI in 131 at bats, and returned to the minor leagues in .
Monzon's managing career began in in the New York Mets
organization, where he directed teams at the Class A and Short Season-A levels from 1978-82. He then became a scout, based in Florida
and covering Latin America
for the Mets, Chicago Cubs
and Chicago White Sox
. In , he was named supervisor of Latin American scouting by the Boston Red Sox
, but in his second year in that job, he was fatally injured in an automobile accident in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, at the age of 49.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
, manager
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...
and scout. A third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
, primarily in minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
, he appeared in 94 games for the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
of 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...
in 1972-73. He threw and batted right-handed, stood 5 feet, 9 inches (1.75 m) tall and weighed 175 pounds (79 kg).
A native of Bronx, New York, Monzon graduated from James Monroe High School
James Monroe High School (New York)
For schools with a similar name, see James Monroe High School.James Monroe High School was a comprehensive high school located at 1300 Boynton Avenue and E 172nd Street in the Soundview section of the Bronx....
in 1964 and attended Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa
Storm Lake, Iowa
Storm Lake is a city in Buena Vista County, Iowa, United States. The population was 10,600 in the 2010 census, an increase from 10,076 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Buena Vista County. Storm Lake is home to Buena Vista University, originally Buena Vista College...
. He was drafted by the Twins in the second round of the secondary phase of the June 1967 Major League Baseball draft, and enjoyed his finest professional season that year with the Short Season-A Auburn Twins
Auburn Twins
The Auburn Twins, affiliated with the Minnesota Twins were a minor league baseball team that existed from 1967 to 1971. They played in the New York-Penn League and were located in Auburn, New York. They played their home games at Falcon Park....
, leading the New York-Penn League in runs scored
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
, and triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, tying for the lead in runs batted in, and finishing second in batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
(.338).
Monzon also enjoyed stellar seasons in the Double-A Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
and Triple-A Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
, but his two seasons with the MLB Twins saw him play a utility role, appearing at second
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
and third base, shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, and in the outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
. He batted .244 with no home runs and nine RBI in 131 at bats, and returned to the minor leagues in .
Monzon's managing career began in in the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
organization, where he directed teams at the Class A and Short Season-A levels from 1978-82. He then became a scout, based in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and covering Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
for the Mets, Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
and 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...
. In , he was named supervisor of Latin American scouting by the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, but in his second year in that job, he was fatally injured in an automobile accident in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, at the age of 49.