Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Ruben Amaro (#358)

Ruben Amaro primarily played for the Phillies from 1960 to 1965, where he and Bobby Wine shared the shortstop position. (Amaro also played some 1B, while Wine played some 3B.)

After the 1965 season, he was traded to the Yankees for utility infielder Phil Linz. The back of Amaro's card says that the Yankees acquired Amaro to replace the retired Tony Kubek at shortstop. If all it took to acquire Amaro was a utility infielder, I'm wondering how good he really was at that point. In any case, that plan was delayed by a year due to an injury to Amaro. Clete Boyer and Horace Clarke shared the shortstop duties in 1966.



After 3 seasons in New York, he was sold to the Angels, where he played primarily as a pinch-hitter before being released at the end of the 1969 season.

Amaro was re-signed by the Phillies and played in their minor-league system in 1970 and 1971, before becoming a coach for the Phillies.

Today, he's probably basking in his son Ruben Jr's recent success. After taking over as the Phillies GM after the 2008 season, Amaro Jr fleeced the Indians for pitcher Cliff Lee, and has the Phillies back in the World Series.

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