| Omar Moreno | |
|---|---|
 Moreno in 1984 | |
| Center fielder | |
| Born: (1952-10-24)October 24, 1952 (age 72) Puerto Armuelles,Panama | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 6, 1975, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 5, 1986, for the Atlanta Braves | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .252 |
| Home runs | 37 |
| Runs batted in | 386 |
| Stolen bases | 487 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Omar Renán Moreno Quintero (born October 24, 1952) is a Panamanian formercenter fielder who played from 1975 through 1986 inMajor League Baseball. He was best known for his years with thePittsburgh Pirates, and was the starting center fielder and leadoff hitter on their1979 World Series champion team.
Moreno made his first appearance with the Pirates in September 1975, and became the team's starting center fielder in 1977. He had great speed and led theNational League instolen bases in 1978 and 1979. In 1980, he set the Pirates' single-season record for stolen bases with 96. Although he had no stolen bases in the 1979 World Series, he hit .333 in the leadoff spot during the Series.
Moreno played every game of the 1979 and 1980 seasons and led the National League inat bats both years.
His 96 stolen bases in 1980 are the most by any player not to lead the majors in steals on the season.Ron LeFlore edged him out by stealing 97 bases.
After the 1982 season, Moreno signed as a free agent with theHouston Astros. He was traded midway through the 1983 season to theNew York Yankees in exchange forJerry Mumphrey. After the Yankees released him in August 1985, he signed with theKansas City Royals for the last month of the season, and finished his career with theAtlanta Braves in 1986.
Moreno has returned to Panama since his retirement. He and his wife Sandra have run the Omar Moreno Foundation, a youth baseball charity for underprivileged kids in Panama. Moreno assumed the title of Secretary of Sports, a position created by then-President-electRicardo Martinelli in May 2009.[1]
He considered a whistle used by his wife Sandra to be his most valuable heirloom from his playing days. The whistle made a very loud noise and was a common sound during the 1979 World Series broadcasts.[1]
Moreno made a cameo appearance in the Mexican movieEl Hombre de la Mandolina, which was nominated for aSilver Ariel in 1985.[2] He appeared in an uncredited role on the showSpace Ghost: Coast To Coast along with fellow major leaguerMookie Wilson in an episode called "Chinatown".