John Felix Tamargo (born November 7, 1951) is a former
Major League Baseball catcher and coach and long-time
minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
. 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.
Playing career
Tamargo was drafted out of
Tampa Catholic High School by the
New York Yankees in
1969
This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon.
Events January
* January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco.
* January 5
**Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
, 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
Gary Edmund Carter (April 8, 1954 – February 16, 2012) was an American professional baseball catcher whose 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career was spent primarily with the Montreal Expos and New York Mets.
Nicknamed "the Kid" for his y ...
, 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 Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
. 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
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
organization, managing the
Kissimmee Cobras
The Kissimmee Cobras were a Florida State League baseball team based in Kissimmee, Florida that played from 1995 to 2000. They were affiliated with the Houston Astros and played their home games at Osceola County Stadium. Prior to 1995, the team ...
. The next season, , he won his second championship as a manager with the
New Orleans Zephyrs
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
of the
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
. From until , he was a coach for the MLB
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
. In and , he managed the
Brevard County Manatees in the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
organization, and in he managed the
Durham Bulls
The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened in ...
, 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. His son was promoted to manager of the Lugnuts before the 2012 season, and was named hitting coach of the
Dunedin Blue Jays
The Dunedin Blue Jays are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and are the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club. They are located in Dunedin, Florida, and play their home games at TD Ballpark, ...
prior to the 2015 season.
Tamargo was named to his current position as Latin America Field Coordinator after the 2010 season.
References
External links
:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tamargo, John
1951 births
Living people
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
Arkansas Travelers players
Baseball coaches from Florida
Baseball players from Florida
Binghamton Mets managers
Denver Bears players
Durham Bulls managers
Georgia Southern Eagles baseball players
Houston Astros coaches
Major League Baseball bench coaches
Major League Baseball catchers
Miami Dade Sharks baseball players
Modesto Reds players
Montreal Expos players
New Orleans Pelicans (baseball) players
San Francisco Giants players
Springfield Redbirds players
St. Louis Cardinals players
St. Petersburg Cardinals players
Tulsa Oilers (baseball) players