Pitcher, Boston
Red Sox
Age: 26 (Aug. 11)
5th season
with Red Sox
Bats – Right,
Throws – Right
Height: 5’11” Weight: 190
Prior to 1962:
A Massachusetts
native who grew up in a rough
neighborhood, Monbouquette (pronounced MON-bu-ket) developed a toughness that
colored his approach to pitching. As a youth he was a Boston Braves fan and
regularly attended games. He played midget and American Legion baseball and was
a star pitcher and outfielder at Medford High School where he also played
hockey and soccer. Monbouquette also played semipro ball in nearby Everett. In
1955 he signed with the Red Sox and the day following his signing he attended a
game at Fenway Park where he and his father were taken into custody by the
police after a fight with two rowdy fans who spilled beer on his mother. He was
freed from a holding cell by Boston farm director Johnny Murphy, capping a
combative start to his professional career. With two Class D teams in 1955 he
produced a 2-4 record. In 1956 with Corning of the Class D
Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York (or Pony) League, his second stop the previous
year, Monbouquette compiled a 15-7 tally and 2.45 ERA with 16 complete games,
and 177 strikeouts over 184 innings. With the Greensboro Patriots of the Class
B Carolina League in 1957 his record was 11-6 with a 3.77 ERA, 11 complete
games, and 137 strikeouts over 172 innings. He wrapped up the season with four
appearances with the Albany Senators of the Class A Eastern League and went
1-1. Moving up to Class AAA in 1958 with the Minneapolis Millers of the
American Association, he was 8-9 with a 3.16 ERA when he was called up to the
Red Sox, who were in need of starting pitchers, in July. With his fastball,
slider, and curve, he produced a 3-4 record and 3.31 ERA, with 30 strikeouts
over 54.1 innings. Having showed promise in his first taste of major league
action, “Monbo” entered the Army and was stationed at Camp Curtis in
Massachusetts, allowing him to play for the Red Sox in 1959, where he had a
fair season as a starter/reliever, pitching in 34 games (17 of them starts) and
compiling a 7-7 tally with a 4.15 ERA, 4 complete games, and 87 strikeouts over
151.2 innings. He was an All-Star in 1960 on his way to a 14-11 record and 3.64
ERA with 12 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 134 strikeouts over 215 innings. His
best performance was a one-hit shutout of Detroit in May. Monbouquette got off
to a slow start in 1961 and finished at 14-14 with a 3.39 ERA, 12 complete
games, and 161 strikeouts over 236.1 innings, which included a 17-strikeout
performance at Washington, which set a club record at the time.
1962 Season Summary
Appeared in 35
games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]
Pitching
Games – 35
Games Started –
35 [4, tied with four others]
Complete Games
– 11 [7, tied with Ed Rakow, Early Wynn & Hank Aguirre]
Wins – 15 [9,
tied with Gene Conley]
Losses – 13 [10,
tied with Don Mossi, Claude Osteen & Barry Latman]
PCT - .536
Saves – 0
Shutouts – 4 [4,
tied with Ken McBride]
Innings Pitched
– 235.1 [10, tied with Ed Rakow]
Hits – 227 [11]
Runs – 100 [16,
tied with Camilo Pascual]
Earned Runs – 87
[16, tied with Bennie Daniels & Bill Stafford]
Home Runs – 22
Bases on Balls
– 65
Strikeouts – 153
[10]
ERA – 3.33 [11]
Hit Batters – 3
Balks – 1 [6,
tied with many others]
Wild Pitches – 1
Midseason
Snapshot: 8-8, ERA - 3.88, SO – 79 in 123 IP
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Most
strikeouts, game – 9 (in 7 IP) vs. Cleveland 6/10, (in 9 IP) at Cleveland 6/19,
(in 9 IP) vs. KC A’s 6/29
10+ strikeout
games – 0
Fewest hits
allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 0 (in 9 IP) at Chi. White Sox 8/1 (No-hitter with 1
BB & 7 strikeouts. Red Sox won 1-0)
Batting
PA – 88, AB – 73,
R – 5, H – 7, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 1, BB – 7, SO – 39, SB – 0, CS – 0,
AVG - .096, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 8, SF – 0
Fielding
Chances - 29
Put Outs – 7
Assists – 21
Errors – 1
DP – 0
Pct. – .966
Awards & Honors:
All-Star
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The Red Sox went 76-84 to finish eighth in the AL, 19 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees. In ninth place by May 20, the Red Sox struggled to play .500 ball during the season’s last two months to finish one place higher.
After 1962:
The Red Sox continued to be a team that lagged in the standings in 1963, but Monbouquette achieved a 20-10 record and 3.81 ERA, with 13 complete games and 174 strikeouts over 266.2 innings. “Monbo” dropped to 13-14 with a 4.04 ERA in 1964 and managed only 7 complete games, although 5 were shutouts. While his ERA improved to 3.70 in 1965, he led the AL in losses with his 10-18 tally. In the offseason he was dealt to the Detroit Tigers where he relieved more than he started in 1966 and went 7-8 with a 4.73 ERA and 61 strikeouts over 102.2 innings. Consigned to the bullpen in 1967, he was only used twice in April. When the Tigers attempted to send him down to the minors, he balked at reporting and was released. Signed by the New York Yankees in May, he made 33 appearances as a spot starter and long reliever, producing a 6-5 record and 2.36 ERA with 53 strikeouts over 133.1 innings for the Yankees. Monbouquette got off to good start in 1968, utilized as a starter, but a July slump led to his being dealt to the San Francisco Giants for reliever Lindy McDaniel. Returned to the bullpen, he made only seven appearances for the Giants and finished with a combined record of 5-8 with a 4.35 ERA. Sent to the Houston Astros on a conditional deal in the offseason, he failed to make the team in the spring of 1969 and was finished as a major league pitcher. For his major league career, Monbouquette posted a 114-112 record in 343 games, 263 of them starts, with a 3.68 ERA, 78 complete games, 18 shutouts, 3 saves, and 1122 strikeouts over 1961.1 innings. With the Red Sox his tally was 96-91 in 254 games, with a 3.69 ERA, 228 starts, 72 complete games, 16 shutouts, and 969 strikeouts over 1622 innings. A four-time All-Star, he never appeared in the postseason. After his playing career, “Monbo” became a scout and minor league manager for the Yankees. He later managed and coached in the New York Mets minor league system as well as for the Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers. He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2000. Monbouquette died of leukemia in 2015 at age 78.
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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league
in the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10),
runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20), pitching wins,
strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10), or have been
participants in the annual All-Star Games between the National and American
Leagues since 1933. This category will also include Misc. players who received
award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had
notable seasons in non-award years.