Lou Montañez

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Lou Montañez
Lou Montañez 2009.jpg
Montañez with the Baltimore Orioles in 2009
Outfielder
Born: (1981-12-15) December 15, 1981 (age 40)
Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
August 5, 2008, for the Baltimore Orioles
Last MLB appearance
September 28, 2011, for the Chicago Cubs
MLB statistics
Batting average.223
Home runs5
Runs batted in32
Teams
Career highlights and awards
  • Hit a home run in first major league at-bat

Luis Anibal Montañez (born December 15, 1981) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs.

Professional career[]

Minor leagues[]

Montañez was drafted by the Chicago Cubs third overall in the 2000 MLB draft. He spent seven seasons in the Cubs' farm system but never made it to the major leagues.

On January 5, 2007, Montañez signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles. After batting .335 with 26 home runs and 97 RBIs in 116 games for the Orioles Double-A affiliate Bowie Baysox, he was called up to the majors for the first time. In 2008, Montañez won the Eastern League Triple Crown despite missing nearly a month of the season after getting called up to the majors.[1]

Baltimore Orioles[]

Montañez made his major league debut on August 5, 2008,[2] playing an inning defensively and without making a plate appearance.[3] The next day, he hit a home run in his first major-league at bat,[a] making him the second Oriole to accomplish the feat, the first having been Buster Narum in 1963. After starting the 2009 season playing for the Orioles Triple-A affiliate, Norfolk Tides, Montañez was recalled to the majors on April 21 after an injury to Ryan Freel. On November 10, 2010, Montanez became a minor league free agent.

Chicago Cubs[]

Montañez signed a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs on January 2, 2011. He was called up from the Iowa Cubs on May 24, 2011 and was in the lineup that night at Wrigley Field against the New York Mets.[7] His first at-bat resulted in an RBI double. He elected free agency on November 28.

Late career[]

Montañez was signed to a minor league contract by the Philadelphia Phillies on December 21, 2011. He also received an invitation to spring training.[8] He began the year with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. On May 4, Montañez was released. On May 21, Montañez signed a minor league deal with the St. Louis Cardinals and was assigned to Triple-A Memphis. In 101 total games that year, Montañez hit .241 with 26 RBIs in 359 plate appearances.

On April 3, 2013, Montañez signed with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League.[9] In 52 games with the club he hit .313 with 6 home runs and 41 RBIs. On June 20, Montañez signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He was assigned to Double-A Arkansas.[10]

On April 25, 2014, Montañez again signed with the Somerset Patriots. He became a free agent after the season.

See also[]

  • List of players with a home run in first major league at-bat

Notes[]

  1. ^ Both MLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com list Montañez's debut as April 28, 2008,[4] in a suspended game that was subsequently resumed and completed on August 25, 2008.[5] Although Montañez only entered the game as a pinch hitter on the latter date,[5] the game is recorded as having been played on the day it started (April 28). The Elias Sports Bureau still credits Montañez with a home run in his first MLB at bat, however, because he was not in the major leagues on April 28.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ "Montanez wins Eastern League Triple Crown". September 1, 2008, Milb.com. Retrieved on September 13, 2008.
  2. ^ "Luis Montanez". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  3. ^ "Baltimore Orioles 3, Anaheim Angels 0". Retrosheet. August 5, 2008. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  4. ^ "Luis Montanez Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  5. ^ a b "April 28, 2008 Baltimore Orioles at Chicago White Sox Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. April 28, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  6. ^ Schmuck, Peter (August 25, 2008). "Upon further examination". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on December 22, 2019. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  7. ^ "Cubs call up Montanez from Triple-A Iowa". May 24, 2011, MLB.com. Retrieved on May 24, 2011.
  8. ^ "Minor Moves: Velez, Hernandez, Luna, Montanez".
  9. ^ "Patriots Add Three Major League Outfielders". SomersetPatriots.com. April 3, 2013. Archived from the original on August 23, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  10. ^ Adams, Steve (June 20, 2013). "Minor Moves: Lou Montanez, Chris Robinson". MLB Trade Rumors.

External links[]

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