Tony Armas
Encyclopedia
Antonio Rafael Armas Machado (born July 2, 1953) is a former Venezuela
n professional
baseball
player who played as an outfielder
in Major League Baseball
. He was one of the top sluggers in the American League
in the early 1980s. Twice Armas led the league in home runs, and led all of Major League Baseball
in RBIs in . He was, however, prone to injuries that affected his career. In his major league career, Armas went to the disabled list twelve times, missing 302 games.
' Gulf Coast League
affiliate in just shy of his eighteenth birthday. He spent six seasons in their farm system, batting .270 with 69 home runs when he received a September call-up in . He appeared in four games for the Pirates, and collected two hits
in six at-bats.
During Spring training
, he, Doug Bair
, Dave Giusti
, Rick Langford
, Doc Medich
and Mitchell Page
were dealt to the Oakland Athletics
for Chris Batton
, Phil Garner
and Tommy Helms
.
for the A's in 1977, though by the end of the season, he was starting in center, and saw most of his action there. Armas' inability to stay healthy limited him to just 91 games in and 80 in . For , Armas became a full-time right fielder, and finally played a full season, batting .279 with 35 home runs and 109 runs batted in in 158 games.
In the strike shortened season, Armas tied for the league lead in home runs and games played to be named the American League Player of the Year by The Sporting News
. In , Armas set a pair of major league records with eleven putout
s and twelve total chances
in right field against the Toronto Blue Jays
. Following the season, he and Jeff Newman were traded to the Boston Red Sox
for Carney Lansford
, Garry Hancock
and Jerry King.
, sharing the outfield duties with Jim Rice
(LF
) and Dwight Evans
(RF
). Although he was booed by fans for his low batting average (.218), he placed second in the AL with 36 home runs, and seventh with 107 RBI.
Armas peaked again in , batting .268 and leading the AL with 43 HR, 123 RBI, 77 extra-base hits
, and 339 total bases
. He was named to The Sporting News and UPI postseason AL All-Star teams, was Boston's co-MVP
, and placed seventh in the AL MVP balloting.
From 1980 to , Armas hit more homers (187) than any other AL player. His next two seasons were ruined by recurring leg injuries and Boston's acquisition of Dave Henderson
. Armas was released after batting just once in the 1986 World Series
. In the following years, he became a valuable role player for the Angels, and he retired after the season.
coach
for the Leones del Caracas
a team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
. His career in Venezuelan pro baseball was a stellar one. He played with the Leones del Caracas and the Caribes de Oriente teams. His 97 career home runs were the Venezuelan pro record, before another center fielder—Robert Perez "the black wall" of Cardenales de Lara
--broke his record in 2007, and he is fourth in the all-time list of RBI leaders, with 412. He was recently elected by the Comité Contemporáneo to the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame, with 96% of the vote.
Armas' brother Marcos
had a brief stint with the A's in , and his son Tony Jr.
made his debut in as a right-handed starting pitcher
for the Montreal Expos
.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n professional
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player who played as an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He was one of the top sluggers in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in the early 1980s. Twice Armas led the league in home runs, and led all of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
in RBIs in . He was, however, prone to injuries that affected his career. In his major league career, Armas went to the disabled list twelve times, missing 302 games.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Armas debuted with the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
' Gulf Coast League
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
affiliate in just shy of his eighteenth birthday. He spent six seasons in their farm system, batting .270 with 69 home runs when he received a September call-up in . He appeared in four games for the Pirates, and collected two hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in six at-bats.
During Spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, he, Doug Bair
Doug Bair
Charles Douglas Bair is a right-handed former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played all or part of fifteen seasons in the majors, from until , for seven different teams...
, Dave Giusti
Dave Giusti
David John Giusti, Jr., is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1962 to 1977....
, Rick Langford
Rick Langford
James Rick Langford , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1976-1986...
, Doc Medich
Doc Medich
George Francis "Doc" Medich in Aliquippa, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1972-1982...
and Mitchell Page
Mitchell Page
Mitchell Otis Page is a former Major League Baseball player. He finished second to Hall of Famer Eddie Murray in American League Rookie of the Year balloting when he came up with the Oakland Athletics in .-Early years:...
were dealt to the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
for Chris Batton
Chris Batton
Christopher Sean Batton is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played part of one season in Major League Baseball in 1976 for the Oakland Athletics....
, Phil Garner
Phil Garner
Philip Mason Garner is a former infielder in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants from 1973 to 1988...
and Tommy Helms
Tommy Helms
Tommy Vann Helms is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Over a fourteen year career , Helms played for four different teams, including eight seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, four with the Houston Astros, and one apiece with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox...
.
Oakland A's
Armas was the opening day right fielderRight fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
for the A's in 1977, though by the end of the season, he was starting in center, and saw most of his action there. Armas' inability to stay healthy limited him to just 91 games in and 80 in . For , Armas became a full-time right fielder, and finally played a full season, batting .279 with 35 home runs and 109 runs batted in in 158 games.
In the strike shortened season, Armas tied for the league lead in home runs and games played to be named the American League Player of the Year by The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
. In , Armas set a pair of major league records with eleven putout
Putout
In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base...
s and twelve total chances
Total chances
In baseball statistics, total chances , also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances = assists + putouts + errors. Chances accepted refers to the total of putouts and assists only. Fielding...
in right field against the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
. Following the season, he and Jeff Newman were traded to the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
for Carney Lansford
Carney Lansford
Carney Ray Lansford is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball and the hitting coach of the Colorado Rockies...
, Garry Hancock
Garry Hancock
Ronald Garry Hancock is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.-Draft:He was born in in Tampa, Florida. Upon graduation from Brandon High School in Brandon, Florida, Hancock was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 22nd round of the 1972 Major League Baseball Draft, but chose instead to play...
and Jerry King.
Boston Red Sox
In Boston, Armas became a center fielderCenter fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
, sharing the outfield duties with Jim Rice
Jim Rice
James Edward "Jim" Rice , nicknamed "Jim Ed", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder.Jim Rice played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox from 1974 to 1989...
(LF
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
) and Dwight Evans
Dwight Evans
Dwight Michael Evans , nicknamed "Dewey", is an American former professional baseball right fielder and right-handed batter who played with the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball....
(RF
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
). Although he was booed by fans for his low batting average (.218), he placed second in the AL with 36 home runs, and seventh with 107 RBI.
Armas peaked again in , batting .268 and leading the AL with 43 HR, 123 RBI, 77 extra-base hits
Extra base hit
In baseball, an extra base hit , also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire another base runner...
, and 339 total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
. He was named to The Sporting News and UPI postseason AL All-Star teams, was Boston's co-MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
, and placed seventh in the AL MVP balloting.
From 1980 to , Armas hit more homers (187) than any other AL player. His next two seasons were ruined by recurring leg injuries and Boston's acquisition of Dave Henderson
Dave Henderson
David Lee Henderson , nicknamed Hendu, is an American former Major League Baseball player who played for the Seattle Mariners , Boston Red Sox , San Francisco Giants , Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals . He batted and threw right-handed...
. Armas was released after batting just once in the 1986 World Series
1986 World Series
The 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
. In the following years, he became a valuable role player for the Angels, and he retired after the season.
Coaching career
Armas is the current BattingBatting
Batting may refer to:*Batting , the act of attempting to hit a ball thrown by the pitcher with a baseball bat, in order to score runs*Batting , the act of defending one's wicket with the cricket bat while attempting to score runs...
coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
for the Leones del Caracas
Leones del Caracas
The Leones del Caracas is a Venezuelan baseball team that plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Since its inception, the team has played in the Estadio Universitario in Caracas...
a team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional is the highest level baseball league in Venezuela.-Brief history:Baseball exploded in Venezuela in 1941, following the world championship in Havana....
. His career in Venezuelan pro baseball was a stellar one. He played with the Leones del Caracas and the Caribes de Oriente teams. His 97 career home runs were the Venezuelan pro record, before another center fielder—Robert Perez "the black wall" of Cardenales de Lara
Cardenales de Lara
The Cardenales de Lara is a baseball team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Founded in 1942 and based in Barquisimeto, the Cardenales have won four domestic titles, the most recent in 2001.-Notable players:* Luis Sojo* Luis Leal...
--broke his record in 2007, and he is fourth in the all-time list of RBI leaders, with 412. He was recently elected by the Comité Contemporáneo to the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame, with 96% of the vote.
Armas' brother Marcos
Marcos Armas
Marcos Rafael Armas Ruiz , better known as Marcos Armas, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and right-handed batter who played for the Oakland Athletics .Armas was born in Puerto Píritu, Anzoátegui State, Venezuela...
had a brief stint with the A's in , and his son Tony Jr.
Tony Armas, Jr.
Antonio José Armas , better known as Tony Armas, Jr., is a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who is currently a free agent. He last appeared in a Major League game in 2008...
made his debut in as a right-handed starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
for the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
.
Career Stats
Twice Armas finished in the top ten in AL Most Valuable Player award balloting (4, 1981; 7, 1984).- List of second generation Major League Baseball players
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
- List of Major League Baseball home run champions
Sources
, or Baseball Library- The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia – Gary Gillette, Peter Gammons, Pete Palmer. Publisher: Sterling Publishing, 2005. Format: Paperback, 1824pp. Language: English. ISBN 1-4027-4771-3