Bo Díaz

Infobox MLB retired
name=Bo Díaz


position=Catcher
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date|1953|3|23
Cúa, Venezuela
deathdate=death date and age|1990|11|23|1953|3|23
Caracas, Venezuela
debutdate=September 6
debutyear=by|1977
debutteam=Boston Red Sox
finaldate=July 9
finalyear=by|1989
finalteam=Cincinnati Reds
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.255
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=87
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=452
teams=
* Boston Red Sox (by|1977)
* Cleveland Indians (by|1978-by|1981)
* Philadelphia Phillies (by|1982-by|1985)
* Cincinnati Reds (by|1985-by|1989)
highlights=
* 2x All-Star selection (1981, 1987)

Baudilio José Díaz Seijas (March 23, 1953 – November 23, 1990) was a popular baseball catcher in Major League Baseball in the 1980s. He was born in Cúa, Miranda, Venezuela.

Defensively, Díaz was strong in every area of the game. He took responsibility for getting the most out of his pitchers, and worked hard at ensuring their success. His pitch-blocking skills were top-notch, and his throws were strong and accurate. A right-handed batter, he was capable of hitting the ball hard to any part of the park with some home run power, and he was especially dangerous on the first pitch. Perhaps due to the physical demands of catching and his willingness to play if able, he suffered several injuries during his career.

A two-time "All-Star", Díaz was a disciplined player in his early years. At fourteen, he played on a national champion Little League team that missed a trip to the Little League World Series when an earthquake devastated Caracas in 1967. Three years later he was signed by Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent. Díaz started his career in the 1971-72 Venezuelan winter season and had to wait until 1977 to play with Boston, and had only one at-bat. In 1978 he was sent to the Cleveland Indians in a six player trade that included pitcher Dennis Eckersley, who won 20 games for Boston that year. With Cleveland, Díaz spent four years as the backup to Ron Hassey until an injury to Hassey made him the Indians' starting catcher early in 1981. He hit .313 with seven homers and 38 RBI in 63 games and played in the '81 All-Star Game as well, but he sprained his wrist and missed the rest of the season.

Díaz was traded in 1982 to the Philadelphia Phillies, where he set career highs in batting average (.288), home runs (18) and RBI (85). His defense was crucial to pitcher Steve Carlton, who won his fourth Cy Young Award that season. In 1983 the Phillies defeated the Chicago Cubs 13-6, clinching the NL East Division by winning 12 of 13 games, as Díaz lead the attack batting 5-for-5 with a pair of home runs. After dispatching the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League championship, Philadelphia lost the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles in five games. Meanwhile, Díaz played well defensively and his .333 was the team's best average. He lost the regular catching job to Ozzie Virgil, Jr. during an injury-marred 1984, when he missed 135 games and was rehabilitating his knee in the minor leagues.

On April 13, 1983, Díaz accomplished something that only 11other Major League players have in the 150-plus year history of the sport-a "Sayonara Slam" (Grand Slam in the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs and his team trailing by three runs). With the New York Mets leading the Phillies, 9–6, and the Phillies down to their last out, Díaz drove a 2-1 Neil Allen pitch out of Veteran's Stadium to win the game for the Phillies, 10–9.

In 1985 Díaz was traded in a midseason swap that brought him to the Cincinnati Reds. He had been languishing on Phillies' bench behind Virgil, batting .211, with two home runs and 16 runs batted in only 26 games played. With the Reds, Díaz joined with his fellow countryman Dave Concepción and his long-time friend Pete Rose. Díaz finished well with his new club, hitting .318 in a 34-game stint through end of September.

The following two years were healthy seasons for the Venezuelan as his chronically sore knees did not inhibit his playing time. He caught 134 games in 1986 and 140 in 1987, batting .272, 10, 56 and .270, 15, 82 respectively. On June 27, 1986, Díaz was part of an unusual occurrence when San Francisco Giants second baseman Robby Thompson was caught stealing four times, establishing a new MLB record with Thompson being thrown out by Díaz in the 4th, 6th, 9th, and 11th innings.

Widely considered the finest catcher born in Venezuela, Díaz played exclusively for the Leones del Caracas team in the 'Venezuelan Winter League (1972 - 1990), forming a fiery offensive combo along with slugger Tony Armas. During his time in the league, Díaz batted .281, with 265 runs scored, 290 runs batted in, 79 doubles, seven triples, and 57 home runs, in 537 games played. In 1979 he set a new mark for home runs with 20, a season record that still stands.

Díaz was part of an extremely unlikely event spanning thirteen years. On January 6, 1973, he caught for minor league pitcher Urbano Lugo, in a no-hit-no-run game when the Leones del Caracas defeated the Tiburones de La Guaira, 6–0. Thirteen years later, on January 24, 1986, Díaz was the catcher for another no-hitter in a 4-0 Caracas' victory over La Guaira. This time, the pitcher was major leaguer Urbano Lugo, Jr., son of the elder Lugo.

On November 23, 1990, Díaz was killed when a satellite dish that he was adjusting on the roof of his home in Caracas, Venezuela fell on him. He was 37 years old.

Bo Díaz continues to be a very popular figure in Venezuelan baseball.

ee also

* Players from Venezuela in "MLB"
* "Leones_del_Caracas"
* In Spanish http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leones_del_Caracas

External links

*baseball-reference|id=d/diazbo01
* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/D/Diaz_Bo.stm Baseball Library]
* [http://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/list.htm Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers]
* [http://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/diazb2.htm Members Tripod photo gallery]