Career
He played for the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics and Boston Red Sox of the American League. In the bottom of the ninth inning with Boston leading 4–3 with one out at Comiskey Park, in the first of two scheduled that day, the contending White Sox had the fleet Berry at third base with one out. Pinch hitter Duane Josephson lofted a fly ball to Tartabull in medium right field — a probable sacrifice fly that would have tied the game.
Tartabull was not known for a strong arm, but his throw, though high, arrived in time to beat Berry to home plate, where Red Sox catcher Elston Howard made the catch while blocking the plate, then swept a tag on Berry to end the game.
The play is the subject of a novel, Tartabull"s Throw, by Henry Garfield, published by Simon & Schuster in 2001. Tartabull also was known for his speed and was always a threat to steal on the basepaths.
Tartabull was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba. Their son, Danny Tartabull, was an All-Star major league baseball player, primarily with the Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, and New York Yankees.