John Montefusco Biography

John Joseph Montefusco Jr. was born on May 25, 1950, and is known by the nickname The Count. He played as a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1974 to 1986, notably with the San Francisco Giants. Montefusco was named National League Rookie of the Year in 1975, a recognition that followed his strong debut season. He earned All-Star honors in 1976, winning a career-high 16 games that year. On July 4, 1975, before a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montefusco publicly guaranteed a victory. In June 1980, he engaged in a physical altercation with Giants manager Dave Bristol after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers. After the 1983 season, Montefusco signed a three-year contract worth $2.3 million to stay with the Yankees.