| Bill Monbouquette | |
|---|---|
 Monbouquette in 1967 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1936-08-11)August 11, 1936 Medford, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| Died: January 25, 2015(2015-01-25) (aged 78) Boston,Massachusetts, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 18, 1958, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 3, 1968, for the San Francisco Giants | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 114–112 |
| Earned run average | 3.68 |
| Strikeouts | 1,122 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
William Charles Monbouquette (August 11, 1936 – January 25, 2015) was an American professionalbaseball player andcoach. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handedpitcher for theBoston Red Sox (1958–65),Detroit Tigers (1966–67),New York Yankees (1967–68), and theSan Francisco Giants (1968). A four-timeAll-Star player, Monbouquette was notable for pitching ano-hitter in1962 as a member of the Red Sox.[1] He was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2000.[2]
Bill was born in Medford, Massachusetts, and attendedMedford High School. He was signed as a free agent on June 21, 1955, by theBoston Red Sox at the age of 18. By age 22 he became the uncle of one Brian Ferguson, a well renowned man and idol in the city of Medford.
Monbouquette compiled 114wins, 1,122strikeouts, and a 3.68earned run average during his major league career. He was also an above-average fielding pitcher, recording a .984fielding percentage with only seven errors in 428total chances in1961+1⁄3 innings of work.
Monbouquette was signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateurfree agent in 1955 and started his majors career on July 18, 1958. He won at least 14 games from 1960 to 1963, with a career-high 20 victories in 1963. AnAmerican League (AL) All-Star in 1960, 1962, and 1963, Monbouquetteno-hit theChicago White Sox 1–0 on August 1, 1962, atComiskey Park; a second-inning walk toAl Smith was the only baserunner Monbouquette allowed.[1][3] Monbouquette credited Red Sox pitching coachSal Maglie with refining his delivery, enabling him to improve his pitching performance.[3]
He also collected two one-hit games, and set a Red Sox record with a 17 strikeout-game against theWashington Senators in 1961. The record stood until Roger Clemens established a major league record with 20 strikeouts in a 1986 game against Seattle.[1]
On September 25, 1965, in a game against theKansas City A's, Monbouquette was the starting pitcher versus 58-year-old Hall of FamerSatchel Paige. Monbouquette threw acomplete game for his tenth win of the season, but became the final strikeout victim of Paige's career in the 3rd inning.
After going 96–91 with Boston, Monbouquette was sent to the Detroit Tigers before the 1966 season. He also pitched for the New York Yankees and finished his career with the San Francisco Giants on September 3, 1968. He never made the postseason.
Monbouquette spent five years coaching in theNew York Metsfarm system before being named the pitching coach of the Mets in November 1981, joining new managerGeorge Bamberger.[4] In October 1982, the Mets relieved Monbouquette of his duties and announced that Bamberger, the manager, would handle both roles. Although Bamberger denied that there had been any conflict between the two, Monbouquette toldThe New York Times, "You can't have two pitching coaches on the same club. Two opinions could be conflicting. Maybe it was confusing at times."[5]
Monbouquette was inducted into theBoston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2000.[1] He was apitching coach for Detroit Single-A affiliate team,Oneonta Tigers. Bill was also once professional hockey playerWayne Muloin's brother-in-law. When people would ask him for an autograph, he surprised people because although he pitched and batted right-handed, his hand writing was left handed.[6]
In May 2008, theBoston Globe reported that Monbouquette was suffering fromacute myelogenous leukemia. Thechemotherapy and drug treatment he received had the disease in remission, but he needed a bone marrow and stem cell transplant to be cured.[7] The Red Sox, in conjunction withDana–Farber Cancer Institute, on June 7, 2008, encouraged fans to enroll in the National Marrow Donor Registry atTufts University in hopes of finding a suitable donor for Monbouquette and others suffering from the disease.[8]
In 2010, the Boston rock bandthe Remains released a song, "Monbo Time", as a tribute to Monbouquette. The Remains pledged to donate 50% of the revenues they receive from sales of the song to cancer research.
Monbouquette died on January 25, 2015, aged 78 atBrigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.[9] He was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Medford, Massachusetts.
· Baseball Almanac| Preceded by | No-hitter pitcher August 1, 1962 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | New York Mets Pitching Coach 1982–1983 | Succeeded by |