Aurelio Monteagudo
Aurelio Faustino Monteagudo Cintra (/aʊˈreɪli.oʊ mɒnteɪˈɡuːdoʊ/; 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.
Career
Monteagudo was born in Caibarién, 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 Venezuelan 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 strikeouts, 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 8+2⁄3 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 successful managerial career in the league.
Aurelio Monteagudo was killed in a car accident in Saltillo, Mexico nine days before his 47th birthday. He, Aurelio Rodríguez and Aurelio López are the only three players in MLB history named Aurelio, and all three were killed in car accidents between the ages of 44 and 52.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players from Cuba
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or:Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Mexican League statistics
- Venezuelan Professional Baseball League statistics