Although he was often overshadowed by his contemporary, Johnny Bench, Sanguillén was considered one of the best catchers in Major League baseball in the early 1970s. While he didn\'t possess Bench\'s power hitting ability, Sanguillen hit for a higher batting average. He was an integral member of the Pirates teams that won three consecutive National League Eastern Division pennants between 1970 and 1972, and a World Series victory in 1971. Sanguillen was also a fast baserunner for a catcher and was a good defensive player with a strong throwing arm.\n', '

Sanguillen was notorious for being a "bad-ball" hitter. Most pitchers will try to strike out an aggressive, free-swinging hitter by forcing him to swing at pitches outside the strike zone when he has two strikes on him. Sanguillen often irritated opposing pitchers and managers by hitting bad pitches for base hits. He rarely walked, and was the only player since 1900 with at least six straight seasons with 475 plate appearances and fewer than 22 walks.[citation needed] This was also why, in spite of his high batting average, his on-base percentage was lower than the league average over his career.[citation needed]\n', '

After playing for three years in the minor leagues, Sanguillen joined the Pirates in 1967, playing in 30 games. He played another season in the minor leagues in 1968, before returning to the Major Leagues in 1969. He replaced Jerry May as the Pirates starting catcher and posted a .303 batting average. He solidified his reputation as one of the top hitting catchers in baseball by hitting for a .325 batting average in 1970, finishing third in the National League batting championship behind Rico Carty and Joe Torre.\n', '

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