Miguel Montero facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Miguel Montero |
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Montero with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2017
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| Catcher | |||
| Born: July 9, 1983 Caracas, Venezuela |
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| debut | |||
| September 6, 2006, for the Arizona Diamondbacks | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 5, 2018, for the Washington Nationals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .256 | ||
| Home runs | 126 | ||
| Runs batted in | 550 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Miguel Angel Montero Fernandez (born July 9, 1983) is a former professional baseball catcher. He is from Venezuela and also an American citizen. Miguel played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These teams included the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, and Washington Nationals. Montero was chosen as an MLB All-Star two times during his career.
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Playing Baseball Professionally
Miguel Montero had a long and successful career in Major League Baseball. He played for four different teams over more than a decade.
Time with the Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks signed Miguel Montero in 2001. He was not chosen in the draft, but the team saw his talent. He received a $13,000 bonus when he signed.
A coach named Bill Plummer helped Montero a lot. Plummer was a former catcher himself. He coached Montero throughout his time with the Diamondbacks.
Montero played his first major league game on September 6, 2006. It was against the Florida Marlins. He did not get any hits in that game. The Marlins' pitcher, Aníbal Sánchez, threw a no-hitter against the Diamondbacks. Montero played in six games that year. He had a .250 batting average.
In 2007 and 2008, Montero shared the catching position. He played alongside Chris Snyder for the Diamondbacks. He batted .224 with 10 home runs in 2007. In 2008, he batted .255 with five home runs.
Montero started the 2009 season slowly. He hit only three home runs in the first two months. His batting average was .200. But when Snyder got injured, Montero played much more. He finished that season with his best batting average yet, .294.
On June 25, 2010, Montero caught a no-hitter thrown by Edwin Jackson. He ended the 2010 season with a .266 batting average and nine home runs.
In 2011, Montero had a great year. He batted .272 with 10 home runs and 45 runs batted in (RBI). Because of his strong performance, he was chosen for his first All-Star Game. He was also very good at stopping runners. He threw out 40% of baserunners who tried to steal.
Montero was selected for his second All-Star Game in July 2014. He took the place of an injured player, Yadier Molina.
Time with the Chicago Cubs
After the 2014 season, the Diamondbacks traded Montero to the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs sent two minor league players to the Diamondbacks in return. Before a hand injury in July, Montero played in 73 games for the Cubs. He hit 10 home runs and had 32 runs batted in. His batting average was .230. On August 30, 2015, Montero caught another no-hitter. This one was thrown by Jake Arrieta against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
During Game 1 of the 2016 NLCS, Montero made a big play. He hit a grand slam as a pinch-hitter in the 8th inning. This hit broke a 3–3 tie. It helped the Cubs win 8–4 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. This was only the third pinch-hit grand slam in postseason history.
Montero entered Game 7 of the 2016 World Series in the 9th inning. He was a defensive replacement for David Ross. In the 10th inning, Montero hit a single. This hit brought in Anthony Rizzo and gave the Cubs an 8–6 lead. The Cleveland Indians scored only one more run. So, Montero's hit was the one that won the game for the Cubs. The Cubs won the World Series! After the series, Montero said he wished he had played more.
In a game on June 27, 2017, the Washington Nationals stole seven bases against the Cubs. After the game, Montero made some comments about the situation. The next day, the Cubs decided to remove Montero from their active roster. Montero later apologized for his comments.
Time with the Toronto Blue Jays
On July 3, 2017, Montero was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. He was placed on the injured list in August with a groin strain. After playing one game in the minor leagues, Montero returned to the Blue Jays on August 16.
Time with the Washington Nationals
On February 1, 2018, Montero signed a contract with the Washington Nationals. He joined their major league team on March 27, 2018. Montero played in four games for Washington. He did not get any hits in 11 tries. The Nationals then removed him from their roster on April 11, 2018. He was released from the team on April 14, 2018.
On December 10, 2018, Miguel Montero announced that he was retiring from baseball.
Playing for His Country
Miguel Montero also played baseball for his home country. He was chosen to play for the Venezuela national baseball team. He played in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
Personal Life
Montero is married to Vanessa. In 2017, they started the Miguel and Vanessa Montero Foundation. This foundation helps seriously ill children from Venezuela get medical care. On May 1, 2017, Miguel and Vanessa both became citizens of the United States.
Montero grew up in Venezuela. He was the youngest of three children. He often says that his parents taught him to always stay positive and keep trying his best.
See also
In Spanish: Miguel Montero (beisbolista) para niños
- List of Major League Baseball players from Venezuela
