Víctor Díaz
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the Venezuelan basketball player, see Víctor Díaz (basketball)
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|
|---|---|
| Seattle Mariners — No. 23 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: December 10, 1981 | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
| September 11, 2004 for the New York Mets | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through 2007) |
|
| Batting average | .240 |
| Home runs | 24 |
| Runs batted in | 73 |
| Teams | |
Víctor Israel Díaz (born December 10, 1981 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball outfielder in the Seattle Mariners organization.
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 amateur draft and signed as an infielder.
Díaz achieved quick success as a minor league hitter, winning the Gulf Coast League batting title in 2001 with a .354 batting average. He managed the same feat the following year hitting .350 in the South Atlantic League. In 2003, 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 2004.
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 2007, 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 is now with their Triple-A affiliate the Tacoma Rainiers
Díaz is single and resides in Chicago.
[edit] External links
- Victor Diaz at ESPN.com
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
