John Tamargo
Encyclopedia
John Felix Tamargo is a former Major League Baseball
catcher
and coach and long-time minor league
manager
. He played all or part of five seasons in the majors from until . He currently serves as the Latin America Field Coordinator for the Seattle Mariners
organization.
by the New York Yankees
in 1969
, but did not sign, choosing instead to attend Georgia Southern University
. He was drafted three more times in the next two years, but did not sign with a team until being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals
in the 6th round of the 1973 Major League Baseball Draft
. He made his major league debut with the Cardinals on September 3, 1976. He played in just 20 games with St. Louis from 1976-78.
In July, 1978, San Francisco Giants
catcher Mike Sadek
was injured, and they acquired Tamargo from the Cardinals as a replacement. He spent the rest of the season with the Giants, splitting time with starting catcher Marc Hill
. He started the 1979 season with the Giants, but was traded to the Montreal Expos
on June 13. He was initially assigned to the minor league Denver Bears, but returned to the majors in August, but appeared in just 12 games over the remainder of the season.
Tamargo spent the entire 1980 season with the Expos, the only full season he spent in the major leagues. Serving as backup to future Hall of Famer Gary Carter
, he appeared in 37 games, batting .275. The following season he spent the entire season back with the Bears, his last season as a player.
. He then joined the New York Mets
organization, for which he worked from until in various capacities. In , he managed the Binghamton Mets
to the championship of the Eastern League.
In , Tamargo moved the Houston Astros
organization, managing the Kissimmee Cobras. The next season, , he won his second championship as a manger with the New Orleans Zephyrs
of the Pacific Coast League
. From until , he was a coach for the MLB Houston Astros
. In and , he managed the Brevard County Manatees
in the Milwaukee Brewers
organization, and in he managed the Durham Bulls
, a farm team of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
.
On January 13, , Tamargo was named the manager of the Everett AquaSox
in the Seattle Mariners
organization. He was named manager of the Class-A Clinton LumberKings
of the Midwest League
after the '09 season. During the 2010 season
, his son John Jr. served as hitting coach of the Lansing Lugnuts
, which played in the same league. The two managed against each other in one game when John Jr. served as the Lugnuts acting manager.
Tamargo was named to his current position as Latin America Field Coordinator after the 2010 season.
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...
catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
and coach and long-time minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
. He played all or part of five seasons in the majors from until . He currently serves as the Latin America Field Coordinator for the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
organization.
Playing career
Tamargo was drafted out of Tampa Catholic High SchoolTampa Catholic High School
Tampa Catholic High School is a Diocesan, Catholic, coeducational high school located in Tampa, Florida, USA, founded in 1962. It is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg. Its motto is "Veritas and Caritas," which means: "Truth and Charity."...
by the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in 1969
1969 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1969 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The Washington Senators tabbed slugging outfielder Jeff Burroughs of Wilson High School in Long Beach, CA as the nation's number one pick...
, but did not sign, choosing instead to attend Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University is a national public university located on a campus in Statesboro, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1906, it is part of the University System of Georgia and is the largest center of higher education in the southern half of Georgia offering 117 academic majors in a comprehensive...
. He was drafted three more times in the next two years, but did not sign with a team until being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in the 6th round of the 1973 Major League Baseball Draft
1973 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1973 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :Four dominating players of the late 70s and 80s were selected in the June regular phase...
. He made his major league debut with the Cardinals on September 3, 1976. He played in just 20 games with St. Louis from 1976-78.
In July, 1978, San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
catcher Mike Sadek
Mike Sadek
Michael George Sadek is a former Major League Baseball catcher. Originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1969, he spent his entire major league career with the San Francisco Giants. He was a backup throughout his eight-year major league career, which spanned the years and through .-Sources:...
was injured, and they acquired Tamargo from the Cardinals as a replacement. He spent the rest of the season with the Giants, splitting time with starting catcher Marc Hill
Marc Hill
Marc Kevin Hill is a former Major League Baseball catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals , San Francisco Giants , Seattle Mariners , and Chicago White Sox ....
. He started the 1979 season with the Giants, but was traded to 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...
on June 13. He was initially assigned to the minor league Denver Bears, but returned to the majors in August, but appeared in just 12 games over the remainder of the season.
Tamargo spent the entire 1980 season with the Expos, the only full season he spent in the major leagues. Serving as backup to future Hall of Famer Gary Carter
Gary Carter
Gary Edmund Carter , nicknamed "Kid" and "Kid Carter", is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 19-year baseball career, mostly with the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets, Carter established himself as one of the premier catchers in the National League, winning three Gold...
, he appeared in 37 games, batting .275. The following season he spent the entire season back with the Bears, his last season as a player.
Managerial and coaching career
Following his playing career, Tamargo has had a lengthy career as a minor league manager, starting in with the independent Miami MarlinsFort Myers Miracle
The Fort Myers Miracle is the Class A Advanced minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club, currently managed by Jake Mauer. Home games are played at the Lee County Sports Complex in Hammond Stadium, which has a capacity of 7,500, and opened in...
. He then joined the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
organization, for which he worked from until in various capacities. In , he managed the Binghamton Mets
Binghamton Mets
The Binghamton Mets are a U.S. minor league baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club...
to the championship of the Eastern League.
In , Tamargo moved the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
organization, managing the Kissimmee Cobras. The next season, , he won his second championship as a manger with the New Orleans Zephyrs
New Orleans Zephyrs
The New Orleans Zephyrs are a minor league baseball team based in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. The Zephyrs play in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. The Zephyrs play their home games at Zephyr Field....
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
. From until , he was a coach for the MLB Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
. In and , he managed the Brevard County Manatees
Brevard County Manatees
The Brevard County Manatees are a minor league baseball team of the Florida State League, and are the A-Advanced affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers...
in the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
organization, and in he managed the Durham Bulls
Durham Bulls
The Durham Bulls are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the International League. The Bulls play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park located in the downtown area of Durham, North Carolina. Durham Bulls Athletic Park is often called the "DBAP" or "D-Bap". The Bulls are...
, a farm team of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
.
On January 13, , Tamargo was named the manager of the Everett AquaSox
Everett AquaSox
The Everett AquaSox are a minor league baseball team in Everett, Washington, USA. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League, of which they are the current defending champions...
in the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
organization. He was named manager of the Class-A Clinton LumberKings
Clinton LumberKings
The Clinton LumberKings are a Midwest League Class A minor league baseball team based in Clinton, Iowa, USA, affiliated with the Seattle Mariners.-History:Clinton joined the Midwest League in 1954 and is the oldest franchise in the league...
of the Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
after the '09 season. During the 2010 season
2010 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champions - San Francisco Giants**American League Champions - Texas Rangers**National League Champions - San Francisco Giants*Postseason - October 7 to November 4...
, his son John Jr. served as hitting coach of the Lansing Lugnuts
Lansing Lugnuts
The Lansing Lugnuts are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays, that plays in the Midwest League.The Midwest League came to Lansing, Michigan in 1996. The franchise began in Lafayette, Indiana, in 1955; after two seasons it moved to Waterloo, Iowa, where it...
, which played in the same league. The two managed against each other in one game when John Jr. served as the Lugnuts acting manager.
Tamargo was named to his current position as Latin America Field Coordinator after the 2010 season.