Juan Carlos Díaz (born February 19, 1974) is a retired Cuban

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...

. Listed at 6' 2", 228 lb., Díaz batted and threw right-handed. He spent part of the 2002 season in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

with the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

. Díaz was a veteran of fourteen minor league seasons. He started his baseball career in 1997 with the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

organization, playing for them two years before joining the Boston (2000–02),

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

(2003),

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

(2004), and St. Louis systems. In 2007, he played for the independent

Joliet JackHammers The Joliet JackHammers were a professional baseball team based in Joliet, Illinois, in the United States. The JackHammers were a member of the Northern League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is ...

of the

Northern League Northern League may refer to: Sport Baseball * Northern League (baseball, 1902–71), a name used by several minor leagues that operated in the upper midwestern U.S. and Manitoba from 1902 to 1971 * Northern League (baseball, 1993–2010), an indep ...

. He split 2008 between the JackHammers and the

Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo The Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (''Owls of the Two Laredos''), formerly known as the Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo (''Owls of Nuevo Laredo''), are a Minor League Baseball team based in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, and Laredo, Texas in the Mexican Leagu ...

of the Mexican League. In four major league games with the Red Sox, Díaz posted a .286 batting average (two-for-seven) with one

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

, two RBI, two runs, one

double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * Th ...

, a .375 OBP, and a .857 SLG. His only home run came on June 23, when he hit a two-run shot off Dodgers

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

Andy Ashby in a 9–6 loss,Boxesetc 2002 Red Sox vs. Dodgers box score from Retrosheet
/ref> in what turned out to be the final at-bat of Diaz's major league career. From 1997 through 2008, Díaz made 936 minor league appearances, hitting for a .301 average (999-for-3209) with 230 home runs and 719 RBI. Diaz played the 2010 baseball season for the

Winnipeg Goldeyes The Winnipeg Goldeyes are a minor-league baseball team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Goldeyes play in the American Association of Professional Baseball, which they joined in 2011. Previously, the Goldeyes were members of the Northern ...

in the Northern League. On January 27, 2011, it was announced that he was released by Winnipeg. 2 months later, Diaz retired from baseball.

References

External links

Retrosheet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diaz, Juan 1974 births Living people People from San José de las Lajas Major League Baseball first basemen Major League Baseball designated hitters Boston Red Sox players Savannah Sand Gnats players Vero Beach Dodgers players San Jose Missions players Sarasota Red Sox players Pawtucket Red Sox players Trenton Thunder players Bowie Baysox players Rochester Red Wings players Springfield Cardinals players Memphis Redbirds players Joliet JackHammers players Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo players Winnipeg Goldeyes players Major League Baseball players from Cuba Cuban expatriate baseball players in the United States Cuban expatriate baseball players in Mexico Estrellas Orientales players Cuban expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Cuban expatriate baseball players in Canada Águilas de Mexicali players Águilas del Zulia players Cuban expatriate baseball players in Venezuela

See also

References

External links