Manny Sanguillén
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| Manny Sanguillén | ||
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| Catcher | ||
| Born: March 21, 1944 Colon, Panama |
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| Batted: Right | Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | ||
| July 23, 1967 for the Pittsburgh Pirates |
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| Final game | ||
| October 5, 1980 for the Pittsburgh Pirates |
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| Career statistics | ||
| Batting average | .296 | |
| Hits | 1,500 | |
| Runs batted in | 585 | |
| Teams | ||
| Career highlights and awards | ||
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Manuel De Jesus Sanguillen Magan, better known as Manny Sanguillen or "Sangy" (born March 21, 1944 in Colon, Panama), is a former catcher in Major League Baseball. He was named to the All-Star squad three times, in 1971, 1972, and 1975. He played primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but also for the Oakland Athletics in 1977. Sanguillen had a lifetime batting average of .296.
Sanguillen was one of the better catchers in the 1970's, but he was overshadowed by his fellow position-mates such as Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, Thurman Munson, and Jerry Grote. Nevertheless, he was always among the leaders in throwing out base-stealers and delivered many timely hits in the clutch for the Pirates. Sanguillen was notorious for being a "bad-ball" hitter, meaning he often swung at pitches outside the strike zone. He rarely walked, and was the only player since 1900 with at least six straight seasons with 475 plate appearances and fewer than 22 walks. This was also why, in spite of his high batting average, his on-base percentage was lower than the league average over his career. His career postseason highlights included batting .379 with 11 hits for the Pirates in their 1971 World Series win and collecting a two-out, game-winning single and RBI for the Pirates in Game 2 of the 1979 World Series against the Orioles.
In 1977, Sanguillen was traded by the Pirates to the Oakland Athletics for the services of then-A's manager Chuck Tanner and $100,000 as a settlement of Tanner's contract with the A's. To this day, Sanguillen is the only player in major-league history to be traded for a manager. After one season with the A's, Sanguillen was dealt back to the Pirates for Miguel Dilone and Elias Sosa.
Sanguillen was also a close friend of the late Roberto Clemente. Sanguillen was the only member of the Pirates not to attend Clemente's funeral, choosing instead to dive the waters where Clemente's plane had crashed in a futile effort to find his friend.
In an article in 1976 in Esquire magazine, sportswriter Harry Stein published an "All Time All-Star Argument Starter," consisting of five ethnic baseball teams. Sanguillen, a Panamanian, was the catcher on Stein's Latin team.
Sanguillen currently operates "Manny's BBQ", a barbecue-style concession stand at the Pirates' current home, PNC Park. He sits in a chair greeting fans in line to buy food, signing autographs and posing for photos.
[edit] External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
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