Danys Báez González (; ; born September 10, 1977) is a Cuban-American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

. Báez played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

Tampa Bay Devil Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. They are one of two major league clubs based i ...

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

, and

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

Professional career

Cleveland Indians

Báez was signed by the

in 1999. In his second season, he played for both the Indians and the Triple-A

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

. In his debut, he went a scoreless inning against the

. Over the rest of the year, he went 5–3 with a 2.91

ERA An era is a span of time. Era or ERA may also refer to: * Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time * Calendar era Education * Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school * ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia * E ...

. In 2002, Báez was moved into the starting rotation of the Indians. He won his first

start Start can refer to multiple topics: * Takeoff, the phase of flight where an aircraft transitions from moving along the ground to flying through the air * Starting lineup in sports * Track and field#Starts use in race, Starts use in sport race * S ...

on April 5 of that year facing the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

. In 26 starts, he went 9–10 with a 4.44 ERA. He was given the role of closer in August, where he finished off the season. Báez pitched for the Indians as a reliever in 2003. He was both a setup man and a closer that season. He had 25 saves and 10 blown saves, which was tied for the most in the Major Leagues.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Báez signed as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and was their full-time closer in 2004. He was 30 for 33 in save chances, which was a career high and seventh best in the Major Leagues. He was traded to the

January 14, 2006 along with Lance Carter for Edwin Jackson and Chuck Tiffany. The Dodgers intended Báez to serve as a closer until the injured Éric Gagné was healthy, but he was removed from the role in May after blowing four saves in four chances.

Atlanta Braves

Báez was traded to the Braves on July 28, 2006, along with

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field, between first base and third base. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns pla ...

Willy Aybar in exchange for

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...

Wilson Betemit. While in Atlanta, he was the set-up man for the Braves' newly acquired closer Bob Wickman.

Baltimore Orioles

Báez signed a three-year deal with the Orioles on November 26, 2006. He served as the set-up man for Orioles'

closing pitcher In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer (abbreviated CL), is a relief pitcher who specializes in getting the final outs in a close game when his team is leading. The role is often assigned to a team's best reliev ...

Chris Ray, but became the closer after Ray suffered a season-ending injury in late July. On March 29, 2008, Baez was placed on the

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...

after undergoing

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's body, ...

and missed the entire 2008 season. Báez returned from elbow surgery the following year with a good start to the season. On May 22, 2009, Báez got his first major league hit off the Nationals Kip Wells.

Philadelphia Phillies

On December 31, 2009, Baez agreed in principle to a contract with the

, which was officially announced on Tuesday, January 5, 2010. In 2010, Baez made 51 appearances for the Phillies, recording a 5.48 ERA. Baez made 29 appearances for Philadelphia in 2011, recording a 6.25 ERA before being designated for assignment on July 22. On August 1, he was released.

Retirement

Baez announced his retirement from baseball on February 27, 2012.

Personal life

Báez defected from the Cuban national team at the

1999 Pan American Games The 1999 Pan American Games, officially the XIII Pan American Games () or the 13th Pan American Games and commonly known as Winnipeg 1999, were a major international multi-sport event that was held from July 23 to August 8, 1999, in Winnipeg, Ma ...

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

. His parents followed him to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

five years later.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baez, Danys 1977 births Living people Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from Cuba Cuban expatriate baseball players in the United States American League All-Stars Cleveland Indians players Tampa Bay Devil Rays players Los Angeles Dodgers players Atlanta Braves players Baltimore Orioles players Philadelphia Phillies players Kinston Indians players Akron Aeros players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Bowie Baysox players Defecting Cuban baseball players Pan American Games gold medalists for Cuba Baseball players at the 1999 Pan American Games Pan American Games gold medalists in baseball Medalists at the 1999 Pan American Games Baseball players from Pinar del Río