The back: Diaz had one of the best arms in baseball, and for his career threw out an excellent 32% of runners attempting to steal. In 1981 and 1988, he set career highs with 40% of runners caught.
The player: A two-time all-star, Diaz was a good hitter as well as an excellent defensive catcher. In 13 seasons, mostly for the Indians, Phillies and Reds, Diaz hit .255 with 87 HR and 452 RBI.
The man: Diaz was revered in his native Venezuela, and in the fall of 1990 he was still playing ball there, hoping for a return to the major leagues. However, he was killed on November 23 of that year in a freak accident, attempting to adjust the satellite dish on his roof when it fell on his head. His funeral was attended by over 3,500 people, and in 2006 he was inducted into the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame.
My collection: I have 48 of his cards, from 1978 to 1990. I would be interested in trading for 1988 Donruss Baseball's Best #110.
Huh, never noticed the umbrellas.
ReplyDeleteSad he passed away at such a young age. When I think of his cards, three stand out. I know he has one of those multi-player rookie cards with Dale Murphy and Lance Parrish. He is also paired with Gary Carter on one of those Fleer SuperStar cards. But the one I recently saw that stands out is his 86T card. It features a nice play at the plate photo.
ReplyDeletePhillies legend. So of course he's in the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame.
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