Charlie Montoyo is a former professional baseball player and current manager in Major League Baseball. He was born on October 17, 1965, in Florida, and grew up playing baseball in Puerto Rico. Montoyo was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1987 and spent six seasons in their minor league system before being released in 1992.
Montoyo then signed with the Montreal Expos and played for their Double-A affiliate in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1993. He played in the Expos' minor league system for three seasons before being released in 1995. Montoyo then signed with the Mexican League and played for the Mexico City Reds in 1996.
In 1997, Montoyo began his coaching career as a hitting coach for the Charleston RiverDogs, a Single-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He spent the next several years coaching in the Devil Rays' minor league system, eventually becoming a manager in 2002. Montoyo managed several of the Devil Rays' minor league affiliates before being promoted to the major league coaching staff in 2008.
Montoyo served as the third base coach for the Devil Rays (later renamed the Tampa Bay Rays) from 2008 to 2014. He then became the bench coach for the Rays from 2015 to 2018. In November 2018, Montoyo was hired as the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, replacing John Gibbons.
Montoyo's first season as manager of the Blue Jays was in 2019. The team finished with a record of 67-95, which was last in the American League East division. In 2020, the Blue Jays played a shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They finished with a record of 32-28 and made the playoffs as a wild card team. The Blue Jays were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the eventual American League champions, the Tampa Bay Rays.
In 2021, Montoyo led the Blue Jays to an 91-71 record, which was good for third place in the American League East division. The team narrowly missed out on a playoff spot, finishing one game behind the Boston Red Sox for the second wild card spot.
Throughout his career, Montoyo has been known for his positive attitude and ability to connect with players. He has also been praised for his strategic thinking and willingness to embrace new ideas and technologies. Montoyo is considered one of the rising stars in the managerial ranks of Major League Baseball.
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