John Montefusco
Born: 5/25/1950 in Long Branch, NJ, USA
MLB Debut: 1974-09-03 | Final Game: 1986-05-01
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 180 lbs
Full name: John Joseph Montefusco
Biography
John Montefusco, born in 1950, was a professional baseball pitcher who had a notable career spanning from 1974 to 1986. Montefusco, known for his strong arm and competitive spirit, finished his career with a record of 90-83 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.54. Over the course of his time in Major League Baseball, he struck out 1,081 batters and recorded five saves. His ability to dominate opposing hitters established him as a significant figure on the mound during his playing years.
Montefusco made a remarkable impact early in his career, being honored as the Rookie of the Year and the TSN Rookie Pitcher of the Year, which showcased his exceptional talent and potential. He was selected as an All-Star once during his career, reflecting his standing among the elite pitchers of his era. Montefusco's contributions to the game were particularly noteworthy during a period characterized by evolving pitching styles and strategies, and he remains a respected figure in baseball history for his accomplishments on the field.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | 83 | 298 | 244 | 32 | 11 | 5 | 1652.3 | 1604 | 650 | 135 | 513 | 1081 | 3.54 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | SFG | NL | 3 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 39.3 | 41 | 21 | 19 | 34 | 4.81 | - |
| 1975 | SFG | NL | 15 | 9 | 35 | 34 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 243.7 | 210 | 78 | 86 | 215 | 2.88 | - |
| 1976 | SFG | NL | 16 | 14 | 37 | 36 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 253.3 | 224 | 80 | 74 | 172 | 2.84 | - |
| 1977 | SFG | NL | 7 | 12 | 26 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 157.3 | 170 | 61 | 46 | 110 | 3.49 | - |
| 1978 | SFG | NL | 11 | 9 | 36 | 36 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 238.7 | 233 | 101 | 68 | 177 | 3.81 | - |
| 1979 | SFG | NL | 3 | 8 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 137.0 | 145 | 60 | 51 | 76 | 3.94 | - |
| 1980 | SFG | NL | 4 | 8 | 22 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 113.3 | 120 | 55 | 39 | 85 | 4.37 | - |
| 1981 | ATL | NL | 2 | 3 | 26 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 77.3 | 75 | 30 | 27 | 34 | 3.49 | -1370.5 |
| 1982 | SDP | NL | 10 | 11 | 32 | 32 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 184.3 | 177 | 82 | 41 | 83 | 4.00 | - |
| 1983 | NYY | AL | 5 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38.0 | 39 | 14 | 10 | 15 | 3.32 | - |
| 1983 | SDP | NL | 9 | 4 | 31 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 95.3 | 94 | 35 | 32 | 52 | 3.30 | - |
| 1984 | NYY | AL | 5 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 55.3 | 55 | 22 | 13 | 23 | 3.58 | - |
| 1985 | NYY | AL | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 10.29 | - |
| 1986 | NYY | AL | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.3 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2.19 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 302 | 455 | 23 | 44 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 18 | 1 | 27 | 219 | 0.097 | 0.152 | 0.147 | 0.300 | -3410.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | SFG | NL | 7 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.286 | 0.0 |
| 1975 | SFG | NL | 35 | 80 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 44 | 0.087 | -788.4 |
| 1976 | SFG | NL | 38 | 78 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 42 | 0.103 | -748.6 |
| 1977 | SFG | NL | 26 | 49 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 0.122 | -422.3 |
| 1978 | SFG | NL | 37 | 70 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 32 | 0.057 | -823.1 |
| 1979 | SFG | NL | 24 | 42 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0.167 | 0.0 |
| 1980 | SFG | NL | 22 | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0.033 | 0.0 |
| 1981 | ATL | NL | 26 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0.067 | 0.0 |
| 1982 | SDP | NL | 32 | 58 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 30 | 0.086 | -627.6 |
| 1983 | NYY | AL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1983 | SDP | NL | 31 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0.053 | 0.0 |
| 1984 | NYY | AL | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1985 | NYY | AL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1986 | NYY | AL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 298 | 244 | 82 | 187 | 16 | 8 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | SFN | P | 7 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | SFN | P | 35 | 34 | 11 | 25 | 1 | 0 |
| 1976 | SFN | P | 37 | 36 | 12 | 21 | 3 | 0 |
| 1977 | SFN | P | 26 | 25 | 10 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| 1978 | SFN | P | 36 | 36 | 8 | 28 | 2 | 2 |
| 1979 | SFN | P | 22 | 22 | 9 | 20 | 1 | 2 |
| 1980 | SFN | P | 22 | 17 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| 1981 | ATL | P | 26 | 9 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| 1982 | SDN | P | 32 | 32 | 11 | 29 | 3 | 0 |
| 1983 | NYA | P | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | SDN | P | 31 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 3 | 0 |
| 1984 | NYA | P | 11 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 1985 | NYA | P | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | NYA | P | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 298 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Player of the Week | Week of 1976-10-01 |
| 1975 | Rookie of the Year | |
| 1975 | TSN Rookie Pitcher of the Year |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | NYA | AL | $716,667 |
| 1985 | NYA | AL | $637,500 |
| Total Career Earnings | $1,354,167 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookdale Community College | Lincroft | NJ | 1970, 1971, 1972 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Cy Young Award | NL | 4th | 2.0 | 120 | 0 |
| 1975 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 1st | 12.0 | 24 | 12 |