Greg Montalbano Inspires Youkilis and Pena

Greg Montalbano never made the big leagues. His entire professional career was in the minor leagues. But on Saturday, he had a big impact on a pair of star hitters who pointed to him as the reason why they played well.

Montalbano pitched for the Boston Red Sox in the minor leagues. On Saturday morning, he lost his near decade long battle with testicular cancer. Kevin Youkilis, his former minor league teammate, and Carlos Pena, his college teammate at Northeastern, both made him proud later in the day.

Pena hit a first inning homer for the Tampa Bay Rays against the Texas Rangers. He followed that up with a two-run homer in the fourth inning. With the game tied in the tenth inning, Pena had the game-winning RBI single. For the game, he was 3-for-4 with three runs and four RBIs.

Youkilis, in a contest that pitted the Red Sox against arch rival New York Yankees, hit a three-run homer in the second inning. In the sixth inning, he hit a two-run homer. He completed his big day with an RBI double in the eighth to finish 3-for-5 with two runs and six RBIs.

“When I pointed to the sky to him when I went to the dugout, that was for him,” said Youkilis about Montalbano. “That’s one of those things. There are some crazy things that have happened in my life where you always feel there’s somebody out there pushing balls out and doing great things for you.”

Said Pena of Montalbano: “I was crushed. He was my right hand in college. He’s been battling cancer for 10 years. He was always smiling. The only thing that comforts me is I know he’s in a better place, but we’re going to miss him greatly.

“I dedicated this game to his memory and his family.”

Youkilis talked about how he hoped his effort helped his former teammate’s family.

Said Youkilis: “It’s a good feeling to know that, for the Montalbano family going through some hard times right now, there’s a lot of guys that are there for them.”

Kevin Youkilis pointing to the sky in memory of Greg Montalbano (Image: Zuma Press)