One of his daughters is actress Lana Parrilla, the star of the ABC fairy tale drama series Once Upon a Time.

He failed to attract the attention of scouts at tryout camps and, after graduating from high school, returned to Puerto Rico where he encountered former New York Yankees pitcher Luis Arroyo.

[2] He spent ten seasons in the minor leagues, until 1972, hitting .282 with 104 home runs, 165 doubles and 36 triples in 1,039 games.

Perhaps his best season was 1969, when he hit .383 with 28 home runs and 85 RBI (all career highs) in 95 games for the Raleigh-Durham Phillies.

He was traded along with Grant Jackson and Jim Hutto from the Phillies to the Orioles for Roger Freed on December 15, 1970.