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Willie Montañez
Guillermo Montañez Naranjo (born April 1, 1948) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball first baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the California Angels (1966), Philadelphia Phillies (1970–1975, 1982), San Francisco Giants (1975–1976), Atlanta Braves (1976–1977), New York Mets (1978–1979), Texas Rangers (1979), San Diego Padres (1980), Montreal Expos (1980–1981), and Pittsburgh Pirates (1981-1982). He batted and threw left-handed.
Along with Tito Fuentes, Montañez was most noted for being one of MLB's two most flamboyant personalities during the 1970s, so much so that he was labeled a hot dog by detractors. He once commented, “I don't mind being called a hot dog, but it all depends on how people say it."
Montañez was born in Cataño, Puerto Rico, and was originally signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur in 1965. After one season with the Florida Rookie League Cardinals, he was selected by the California Angels in the 1965 Rule 5 draft, and made his major league debut with the Angels in their 1966 season opener as a pinch runner for Norm Siebern in the 14th inning. The Chicago White Sox won the game in the bottom of the inning before Montañez could log an at bat, however, he did have two at bats without a hit with the Angels before being returned to the Cardinals on May 5.
On October 7, 1969, the Cardinals traded Curt Flood, Byron Browne, Joe Hoerner and Tim McCarver to the Philadelphia Phillies for Dick Allen, Jerry Johnson and Cookie Rojas. When Curt Flood refused to report to his new team, the Cardinals sent Montañez and Jim Browning to the Phillies to complete the trade. He appeared in eighteen games with the Phillies in 1970, mostly in the outfield, and collected three runs batted in and scored three runs.
In 1971, Montañez was tabbed as the starting center fielder for the Phillies, and responded with a career-high 30 home runs (still a Phillies' rookie record), 99 runs batted in, and a league-leading thirteen sacrifice flies. He finished second behind Atlanta Braves catcher Earl Williams in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting.
In 1972, Montañez led the National League in doubles (39), and tied for the league lead in outfield assists with fifteen. With Del Unser's arrival in Philadelphia in 1973, Montañez returned to his natural position at first base where he stayed for the remainder of his career.
Montañez batted over .300 for the first time in his career in 1974 (.304). Made expendable after the Phillies claimed Dick Allen off waivers from the Atlanta Braves one week earlier, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Garry Maddox on May 4, 1975.
Though he was batting .286 with the Phillies at the time of the trade, he ended the season with a .302 batting average for the second of his three consecutive seasons batting over .300. He also collected a career high 101 runs batted in between his two teams, and emerged as one of the league's top fielding first basemen, leading the league first basemen in assists for the first of three times in his career (1975, 1976 and 1978).
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Willie Montañez
Guillermo Montañez Naranjo (born April 1, 1948) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball first baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the California Angels (1966), Philadelphia Phillies (1970–1975, 1982), San Francisco Giants (1975–1976), Atlanta Braves (1976–1977), New York Mets (1978–1979), Texas Rangers (1979), San Diego Padres (1980), Montreal Expos (1980–1981), and Pittsburgh Pirates (1981-1982). He batted and threw left-handed.
Along with Tito Fuentes, Montañez was most noted for being one of MLB's two most flamboyant personalities during the 1970s, so much so that he was labeled a hot dog by detractors. He once commented, “I don't mind being called a hot dog, but it all depends on how people say it."
Montañez was born in Cataño, Puerto Rico, and was originally signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur in 1965. After one season with the Florida Rookie League Cardinals, he was selected by the California Angels in the 1965 Rule 5 draft, and made his major league debut with the Angels in their 1966 season opener as a pinch runner for Norm Siebern in the 14th inning. The Chicago White Sox won the game in the bottom of the inning before Montañez could log an at bat, however, he did have two at bats without a hit with the Angels before being returned to the Cardinals on May 5.
On October 7, 1969, the Cardinals traded Curt Flood, Byron Browne, Joe Hoerner and Tim McCarver to the Philadelphia Phillies for Dick Allen, Jerry Johnson and Cookie Rojas. When Curt Flood refused to report to his new team, the Cardinals sent Montañez and Jim Browning to the Phillies to complete the trade. He appeared in eighteen games with the Phillies in 1970, mostly in the outfield, and collected three runs batted in and scored three runs.
In 1971, Montañez was tabbed as the starting center fielder for the Phillies, and responded with a career-high 30 home runs (still a Phillies' rookie record), 99 runs batted in, and a league-leading thirteen sacrifice flies. He finished second behind Atlanta Braves catcher Earl Williams in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting.
In 1972, Montañez led the National League in doubles (39), and tied for the league lead in outfield assists with fifteen. With Del Unser's arrival in Philadelphia in 1973, Montañez returned to his natural position at first base where he stayed for the remainder of his career.
Montañez batted over .300 for the first time in his career in 1974 (.304). Made expendable after the Phillies claimed Dick Allen off waivers from the Atlanta Braves one week earlier, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Garry Maddox on May 4, 1975.
Though he was batting .286 with the Phillies at the time of the trade, he ended the season with a .302 batting average for the second of his three consecutive seasons batting over .300. He also collected a career high 101 runs batted in between his two teams, and emerged as one of the league's top fielding first basemen, leading the league first basemen in assists for the first of three times in his career (1975, 1976 and 1978).