Víctor Díaz
Encyclopedia
Víctor Israel Díaz is a Major League Baseball
outfielder
who is currently a free agent.
Díaz attended Roberto Clemente
High School in Chicago
where he was honored as an Illinois
All-State baseball player each of his four years there. As a high schooler, he was invited to dinner by fellow Dominican and star Chicago Cubs
outfielder Sammy Sosa
. He attended Grayson County College
where he was a first-team National Junior College Athletic Association
All-American. He was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers
in the 37th round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft
and signed as an infielder
.
Díaz achieved quick success as a minor league hitter, winning the Gulf Coast League
batting title in with a .354 batting average
. He managed the same feat the following year hitting .350 in the South Atlantic League
. In , he was traded by the Dodgers to the New York Mets
for Jeromy Burnitz
. Because of his limited fielding skills, the Mets moved Diaz to the outfield in .
Díaz made his major league debut with the Mets on September 11, 2004. He was impressive during his September tryout, hitting a three-run home run
with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning
to win a pivotal game against the playoff-contending Chicago Cubs
, essentially knocking them out of the playoffs. Ironically, the Cubs were his favorite team growing up. On August 22, 2006, Diaz was designated for assignment by the Mets. On August 30, 2006, Diaz was dealt to the Texas Rangers
for minor league catcher
Mike Nickeas
. After the 2006 season, Diaz headed to the Instructional League to work with hitting coach Brook Jacoby on his swing, then he played in the Dominican Winter League. Diaz competed for a spot on the Rangers 25-man roster, but did not make the cut and started the season with Triple-A Oklahoma
. Diaz was called up and appeared in 37 games for the Rangers in , but became a free agent
after the season.
On January 11, 2008, Diaz signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros
, but was released on May 2, 2008. Shortly thereafter, he signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners
and was assigned to their Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers
. He became a free agent at the end of the season. On December 1, 2008, he signed with the Hanwha Eagles in South Korea. But he was released from Hanwha on July 8, 2009.
WFAN personality Joe Benigno
is occasionally ridiculed for projecting Díaz to have a better offensive career than then-teammates José Reyes and David Wright in 2005.
On July 19, 2009, Díaz signed a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles
and was assigned to their minor league affiliate, the Norfolk Tides
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
who is currently a free agent.
Díaz attended Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
High School in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
where he was honored as an Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
All-State baseball player each of his four years there. As a high schooler, he was invited to dinner by fellow Dominican and star Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
outfielder Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa
Samuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989-2007....
. He attended Grayson County College
Grayson County College
Grayson County College is a community college located in Grayson County, Texas. GCC's main campus is located in Denison, with branch campuses in Sherman, Van Alstyne and Bonham ....
where he was a first-team National Junior College Athletic Association
National Junior College Athletic Association
The National Junior College Athletic Association , founded in 1938, is an association of community college and junior college athletic departments throughout the United States. It is held as Divisions and Regions. The current NJCAA holds 24 separate regions.-History:The idea for the NJCAA was...
All-American. He was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in the 37th round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft
2000 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Compensation picks:- Background :The Florida Marlins made Adrian Gonzalez of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, CA the first overall selection in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft...
and signed as an infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
.
Díaz achieved quick success as a minor league hitter, winning the Gulf Coast League
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
batting title in with a .354 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
. He managed the same feat the following year hitting .350 in the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
. In , he was traded by the Dodgers to the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
for Jeromy Burnitz
Jeromy Burnitz
Jeromy Neal Burnitz is a former baseball player who was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played with the New York Mets , Cleveland Indians , Milwaukee Brewers , Los Angeles Dodgers , Colorado Rockies , Chicago Cubs , and Pittsburgh Pirates .Burnitz played his...
. Because of his limited fielding skills, the Mets moved Diaz to the outfield in .
Díaz made his major league debut with the Mets on September 11, 2004. He was impressive during his September tryout, hitting a three-run home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning
Inning
Inning is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany....
to win a pivotal game against the playoff-contending Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, essentially knocking them out of the playoffs. Ironically, the Cubs were his favorite team growing up. On August 22, 2006, Diaz was designated for assignment by the Mets. On August 30, 2006, Diaz was dealt to the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
for minor league catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
Mike Nickeas
Mike Nickeas
Michael James Nickeas is a Major League Baseball catcher for the New York Mets....
. After the 2006 season, Diaz headed to the Instructional League to work with hitting coach Brook Jacoby on his swing, then he played in the Dominican Winter League. Diaz competed for a spot on the Rangers 25-man roster, but did not make the cut and started the season with Triple-A Oklahoma
Oklahoma RedHawks
The Oklahoma City RedHawks are a minor league baseball team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros...
. Diaz was called up and appeared in 37 games for the Rangers in , but became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
after the season.
On January 11, 2008, Diaz signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, but was released on May 2, 2008. Shortly thereafter, he signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
and was assigned to their Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a minor league baseball team that plays in the Pacific Coast League , and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners...
. He became a free agent at the end of the season. On December 1, 2008, he signed with the Hanwha Eagles in South Korea. But he was released from Hanwha on July 8, 2009.
WFAN personality Joe Benigno
Joe Benigno
Joseph S. Benigno is an American sports radio personality. He co-hosts the 10am-1pm weekday show on WFAN in New York City.-Early Years:...
is occasionally ridiculed for projecting Díaz to have a better offensive career than then-teammates José Reyes and David Wright in 2005.
On July 19, 2009, Díaz signed a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
and was assigned to their minor league affiliate, the Norfolk Tides
Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a minor league baseball team in the Triple-A International League. They play at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia. Since 2007 they have been a farm team of the Baltimore Orioles; prior to that, they had a 38-year affiliation with the New York Mets.-Franchise history:The...
.