Francisco "Paquito" Montaner
| Francisco ("Paquito") Montaner García | |||
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Born: 16 August 1894 Ponce, Puerto Rico |
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Died: 5 April 1945 Ponce, Puerto Rico |
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| MLB debut | |||
| 1911, for the Ponce Baseball Club | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| 1923 | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| First player ever to throw a "no-hitter" in Puerto Rican professional baseball | 22 January 1912 | ||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
| Pabellón de la Fama del Deporte Puertorriqueño (1955) Galería de Inmortales del Deporte Ponceño (1983) |
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Francisco ("Paquito") Montaner García (August 16, 1894 – April 5, 1945) was a Puerto Rican pitcher from Ponce. He was the first baseball player to throw a "no-hitter" in Puerto Rican baseball, an event that took place on 10 December 1911. He is honored with the name of one of the largest stadiums in Puerto Rico, the professional baseball league's Francisco Montaner Stadium in Ponce. In 1955, he was inducted into the Puerto Rico Sports Hall of Fame and, in 1983, into the Galeria de los Inmortales del Deporte Ponceño (Ponce's Gallery of the Inmortals of Ponce Sports).
Francisco "Paquito" Alfonso Montaner García was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on August 16, 1894, to Francisco Montaner Colón and Eugenia García Colón. His parents separated when he was young and Montaner was raised by his mother, together with his two sisters, Mercedes and Amanda. His father was a member of the local chapter of the Unionist party. Montaner García was a graduate of Ponce High School.
Montaner García predated professional baseball in Puerto Rico, which was not organized until 1926. He was one of the greatest Puerto Rican pitchers of all times. He also played ball performing brilliantly as an infielder. Prior to this, he was responsible for raising the name of his alma mater Ponce High School to the summit of Puerto Rican sports.
On one occasion Montaner García pitched two games on the same day without allowing the opposing team, Santurce's Central High School, to score a single run. On another occasion Montaner scored all strikeouts against 15 batters in succession and, in 1914, Montaner eliminated the All-American team as he threw a no-hitter against a team made up exclusively of American players belonging mostly to major league teams. After this game, the All-American team extended Montaner an offer to play for their team. Montaner's parents refused, however, given that Montaner was still a very young man. "Had the contract materialized, Montaner would have been the first Puerto Rican ever to have played in the major leagues with the New York Yankees, then known as the All-American team". On January 22, 1912, while playing for Ponce's Liga del Castillo, Montaner García threw another no-hitter against San Juan's Capital Pope team. Montaner García was a right-hand pitcher.
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