Ramón Montoya (baseball)

Ramón "Diablo" Montoya Lerma (8 December 1940 – 24 January 2018) was a Mexican professional baseball outfielder and coach. Montoya spent all his career in the Mexican League playing center field for the Diablos Rojos del México. Nicknamed "Diablo" (Devil), Montoya also participated in the Mexican Pacific League and played one season, in 1964, for the El Paso Sun Kings of the Texas League. After retiring, he coached for the Diablos Rojos. Montoya was inducted into the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 1990.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Montoya and the second or maternal family name is Lerma.
Ramón Montoya
Outfielder / Coach
Born: (1940-12-08)8 December 1940
Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
Died: 24 January 2018(2018-01-24) (aged 77)
Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Mexican Pacific League records

  • 130 hits, single season
Member of the Mexican Professional
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction1990
Montoya's number was retired by the Diablos Rojos del México in 1976

Early career

Montoya was born on 8 December 1940 in Mexicali, Baja California.[1] Nicknamed "Diablo" since his early days in local Mexicali, Montoya was part of the Mexican squad that competed in the 1961 Amateur World Series played in Costa Rica, where they placed second with a 7–2 record.[2]

Professional career

Montoya started his professional career in 1961 as Rodolfo Montoya in the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League, playing eight games.[3] In 1962, Montoya registered using his real name and became the Diablos Rojos starting centerfielder, a position he held for the next 15 seasons with the México squad.[4]

In 1964, Montoya played in the Texas League for the El Paso Sun Kings, where he appeared in 90 games, but he had to return to Mexico due to a clavicle fracture.[5] "Diablo" won four Mexican League championships with the Diablos Rojos, in 1968, 1973, 1974 and 1976.[6] Montoya retired in 1976; that same year, his number, 32, was retired by the Diablos Rojos.[7]

Montoya also played thirteen seasons in the Mexican Pacific League (LMP), debuting in the 1961–62 season for the Naranjeros de Hermosillo. He also played for the Rieleros de Empalme, Algodoneros de Guasave, Yaquis de Obregón, Tomateros de Culiacán and Ostioneros de Guaymas.[8] During the 1963–64 season, while playing for the Rieleros, Montoya set the LMP single season record for most hits, with 130; as of 2023, the record is still active.[9]

On 13 July 1990, Montoya was elected to the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame.[8] Montoya is also part of his hometown's Mexicali Hall of Fame.[10]

Coaching career

After retiring as player, Montoya kept working with the Diablos Rojos as a coach and was even considered as a successor to legendary manager Cananea Reyes.[5]

In his last years of life, Montoya worked as an instructor for the Alfredo Harp Helú Baseball Academy.[7]

Death

Montoya died on 24 January 2018 in Cuernavaca, Morelos, aged 77.[4][11]

Career statistics

Mexican Pacific League
Season Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB BA
1961–62Hermosillo602192764112021423.292
1962–63Empalme62244366880227717.279
1963–64Empalme8337467130135742616.348
1964–65Empalme79300379482232623.313
1966–67Empalme8834948102133224527.292
1967Hermosillo843213690131323314.280
1969–70Hermosillo57228326060121317.263
1970–71Guasave68260347064024711.269
1971–72Guasave68257266862127128.265
1972–73Guasave722682974151336227.276
1973–74Obregón46147154660111320.313
1974–75Culiacán45164154180114514.250
1975–76Guaymas31011000000.100
Total8153141403908113202330252237.289

Source:[12]

References
  1. "Un 8 de diciembre pero de 1940 nace Ramón Diablo Montoya" (in Spanish). Salón de la Fama del Beisbol Mexicano. 8 December 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  2. "Fallece el mítico Ramón 'El Diablo' Montoya, figura del beisbol mexicano". Noroeste (in Spanish). 25 January 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  3. "Descanse en paz, "Diablo" Montoya". MiLB.com (in Spanish). 24 January 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  4. "Fallece Ramón "Diablo" Montoya, leyenda del beisbol en México". El Universal (in Spanish). 24 January 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  5. "Exbeisbolista 'Diablo' Montoya fallece a los 78 años". ESPN.com.mx (in Spanish). Notimex. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  6. "Jardinero Central – Diablo Montoya". Cuarto Bat (in Spanish). 25 January 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  7. Guerrero, Mario (6 October 2019). "75 peloteros emblemáticos de la LMP: Ramón 'Diablo' Montoya". AS.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  8. "Inmortales 1990" (in Spanish). Salón de la Fama del Beisbol Mexicano. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  9. Gastélum Duarte, Guillermo. Enciclopedia Conmemorativa del 75 Aniversario de la Liga Mexicana del Pacífico (in Spanish). Culiacán, Sinaloa: Moby Dick Editorial. p. 85. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  10. "Tras ocho años, vuelve la entronización al Salón de la Fama". MexicaliSport (in Spanish). 14 September 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  11. "Un 24 de enero pero del 2018 muere Ramón Diablo Montoya" (in Spanish). Salón de la Fama del Beisbol Mexicano. 24 January 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  12. Gastélum Duarte, Guillermo. Enciclopedia Conmemorativa del 75 Aniversario de la Liga Mexicana del Pacífico (in Spanish). Culiacán, Sinaloa: Moby Dick Editorial. p. 462–463. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
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