View source for Tony Armas

{{Short description|Venezuelan baseball player (born 1953)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{family name hatnote|Armas|Machado|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Tony Armas
|image=1987 Mother's Cookies - Tony Armas.jpg
|position=[[Outfielder]]
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1953|7|2}}
|birth_place=[[Puerto Piritu, Venezuela]]
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=September 6
|debutyear=1976
|debutteam=Pittsburgh Pirates
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=October 1
|finalyear=1989
|finalteam=California Angels
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.252
|stat2label=[[Home runs]]
|stat2value=251
|stat3label=[[Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=815
|teams=
*[[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{mlby|1976}})
*[[Oakland Athletics]] ({{mlby|1977}}–{{mlby|1982}})
*[[Boston Red Sox]] ({{mlby|1983}}–{{mlby|1986}})
*[[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]] ({{mlby|1987}}–{{mlby|1989}})
|highlights=
* 2× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1981]], [[1984 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1984]])
* [[Silver Slugger Award]] (1984)
* 2× [[List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders|AL home run leader]] (1981, 1984)
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders|AL RBI leader]] (1984)
|hofcolor = #ffd700
|hoflink = Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype = Venezuelan
|hofdate = [[Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum#2005|2005]]
|hofvote = 
|hofmethod = 
}}

'''Antonio Rafael Armas Machado''' (born July 2, 1953) is a [[Venezuelans|Venezuelan]] former professional [[baseball]] player. He played in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) as an [[outfielder]] from 1976 to 1989. He is the father of pitcher [[Tony Armas Jr.]] and the older brother of outfielder [[Marcos Armas]].

Armas was one of the top power hitters in the [[American League]] in the early 1980s. Twice he led the [[American League]] in [[home runs]], becoming the first Venezuelan player to win a Major League Baseball home run title,<ref>{{cite web|first=Javier|last=González|first2=Carlos|last2=Figueroa Ruiz|title=101 razones para amar a los Leones y 10 motivos para ser antimagallanero|url=https://banesco-prod-2020.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/101-razones-para-amar-a-los-leones.pdf|p=142|publisher=Banesco|access-date=|language=es}}</ref> and topped all of MLB in [[runs batted in]] during the {{baseball year|1984}} season. Armas was prone to injuries and went on the [[disabled]] list twelve times during his major league career, missing 302 games.

==Career==
===Pittsburgh Pirates===
Armas debuted with the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]]' [[Gulf Coast League]] affiliate in {{baseball year|1971}} just shy of his eighteenth birthday. He spent six seasons in their farm system, batting .270 with 69 home runs when he received a September call-up in {{baseball year|1976}}. He appeared in four games for the Pirates, and collected two [[hit (baseball)|hits]] in six at-bats.

During [[spring training]] in {{baseball year|1977}}, Armas, [[Doug Bair]], [[Dave Giusti]], [[Rick Langford]], [[Doc Medich]] and [[Mitchell Page]] were dealt to the [[Oakland Athletics]] in exchange for [[Chris Batton]], [[Phil Garner]] and [[Tommy Helms]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/03/17/archives/pirates-as-swap-9-players-garner-and-medich-key-men.html |title=Pirates, A's Swap 9 Players; Garner and Medich Key Men |work=The New York Times |agency=Associated Press|date=March 17, 1977 |access-date=July 5, 2017}}</ref>

===Oakland A's===
Armas was the opening day [[right fielder]] for the A's in 1977, though by the end of the season, he was starting in center and saw most of his action there. Armas' inability to stay healthy limited him to just 91 games in {{baseball year|1978}} and 80 in {{baseball year|1979}}. For {{baseball year|1980}}, Armas became a full-time right fielder, and finally played a full season, batting .279 with 35 home runs and 109 [[runs batted in]] in 158 games.

In the [[1981 Major League Baseball strike|strike]] shortened {{baseball year|1981}} season, Armas tied for the league lead in home runs (22) and games played (109) to be named the ''American League Player of the Year'' by ''[[The Sporting News]]''. In {{Baseball year|1982}} he set a pair of major league records with eleven [[putout]]s and twelve [[total chances]] in right field in a single game against the [[Toronto Blue Jays]]. Following the season he was traded, along with [[Jeff Newman (baseball)|Jeff Newman]], to the [[Boston Red Sox]] for [[Carney Lansford]], [[Garry Hancock]] and minor leaguer Jerry King.

===Boston Red Sox===
In Boston, Armas became the [[center fielder]], sharing the outfield with [[Jim Rice]] ([[Left fielder|LF]]) and [[Dwight Evans (Baseball)|Dwight Evans]] ([[Right fielder|RF]]). Although he was booed by fans for his low batting average (.218), he placed second in the AL with 36 home runs and seventh with 107 RBI.

Armas had a monster {{Baseball year|1984}}, batting .268 and leading the AL with 43 home runs, 123 RBI, 77 [[extra base hit|extra-base hits]], and 339 [[total bases]]. He was named to ''The Sporting News'' and [[UPI]] postseason AL All-Star teams, was Boston's co-[[Most Valuable Player|MVP]], and placed seventh in AL MVP balloting.

From 1980 to {{Baseball year|1985}}, Armas hit more homers (187) than any other AL player. His next two seasons were ruined by recurring leg injuries and Boston's acquisition of [[Dave Henderson]]. Armas was released after batting just once in the [[1986 World Series]]. In the following years, he became a valuable role player for the Angels, and he retired after the {{Baseball year|1989}} season.

Twice he finished in the top ten in AL Most Valuable Player award balloting (4th, 1981; 7th, 1984).

===California Angels===
Armas was signed as a free agent by the California Angels In July 1987, and played 3 seasons with them (1987–1989) to finish out his Major League career. For his career playing in 1,432 games over 14 seasons, Armas tallied 251 home runs, 614 runs, 204 doubles, 39 triples, 815 RBI, and 1,302 hits.

==Family ties==
Tony is one of 13 children, His younger brother, outfielder [[Marcos Armas]], had a brief stint with the Athletics in the 1993 season, while his son [[Tony Armas Jr.|Tony Jr.]] pitched from 1999 through 2008 for the [[Montreal Expos]]/[[Washington Nationals]], [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] and [[New York Mets]].

==Coaching career==
Armas is the current [[Batting (baseball)|Batting]] [[coach (baseball)|coach]] for the [[Leones del Caracas]] a team in the [[Venezuelan Professional Baseball League]].

His playing career in Venezuela was a stellar one. He started playing with the Leones and later joined the [[Caribes de Oriente]]. His 97 career home runs were the Venezuelan professional baseball record, before another center fielder—[[Robert Pérez (baseball)|Robert Pérez]] "the black wall" of [[Cardenales de Lara]]—set a new mark in 2007. In addition, Armas is fourth in the all-time list of RBI leaders, with 412.

In 2005, he earned induction into the [[Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]] with 96% of the vote. He also was selected to the [[Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame#1998|Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 1998.

==See also==
*[[List of second-generation Major League Baseball players]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball players from Venezuela]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

*''The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia'' – Gary Gillette, Peter Gammons, Pete Palmer. Publisher: Sterling Publishing, 2005. Format: Paperback, 1824pp. Language: English. {{ISBN|1-4027-4771-3}}

==External links==
*{{Baseballstats|mlb=|espn=|br=a/armasto01|brm=armas-002ant}}

{{AL home run champions}}
{{AL RBI champions}}
{{AL OF Silver Slugger Award}}
{{Venezuelan Professional Baseball League Rookie of the Year}}
{{Leones del Caracas}}
{{Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame}}
{{Venezuela roster 2009 World Baseball Classic}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Armas, Tony}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American League All-Stars]]
[[Category:American League home run champions]]
[[Category:American League RBI champions]]
[[Category:Boston Red Sox players]]
[[Category:California Angels players]]
[[Category:Caribes de Oriente players]]
[[Category:Charleston Charlies players]]
[[Category:Edmonton Trappers players]]
[[Category:Gastonia Pirates players]]
[[Category:Gulf Coast Pirates players]]
[[Category:Leones del Caracas players]]
[[Category:Llaneros de Portuguesa players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball center fielders]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball players from Venezuela]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball right fielders]]
[[Category:Monroe Pirates players]]
[[Category:Oakland Athletics players]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Anzoátegui]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players]]
[[Category:Sherbrooke Pirates players]]
[[Category:Silver Slugger Award winners]]
[[Category:Thetford Mines Pirates players]]
[[Category:Venezuela national baseball team people]]
[[Category:Venezuelan baseball coaches]]
[[Category:Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Canada]]
[[Category:Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States]]
[[Category:20th-century Venezuelan sportsmen]]
[[Category:People from Puerto Píritu]]