Former Phillies shortstop, scout and first base coach Ruben Amaro Sr. died Friday at 81, just one week after the passing of former Phillies manager Dallas Green.
Amaro, the father of former Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., was with the Phillies from 1960 to 1965, winning a Gold Glove in 1964. He rejoined the organization in 1972 and became the Phillies' first full-time Caribbean scout. He was their Latin American coordinator from 1974-80, and then served as the first base coach for Green's teams in 1980 and 1981.
As the head of Latin operations, Amaro Sr. was instrumental in the Phillies' signings of Juan Samuel, Julio Franco and George Bell.
His fingerprints were all over the organization.
"As a young fan in the early 1960s, I had the privilege of watching the amazing grace of Ruben Amaro Sr. as he played shortstop for the Phillies. Ten years later, Ruben was my professional colleague at the Phillies," Phillies chairman David Montgomery said in a statement.
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"He was a joy to be around because he treated people with the same special grace he exhibited fielding a ground ball."
Amaro Sr., a member of both the Mexico and Cuba Baseball Halls of Fame, is survived by his wife Lilia, his five children and seven grandchildren.
