RWBL Player Spotlight

Raven · 03-05-2003, 02:41 PM

I wrote this little article on a player in our online league (RWBL) but figured I'd post it here anyway since it is an interesting story.

Player Spotlight:

George Diaz

George Francisco Rodrigo Diaz was born on March 16, 1982. Like many other latin american major leaguers before him, George was born in the poor Dominican Republic town of San Pedro De Marcoris. Like everyone else there, George loved baseball - it was his passion. As a poor child, George often patrolled centerfield barefooted and had an extremely strong throwing arm. Though he was a very good hitter, local coaches persuaded the lefty to become a pitcher because his arm was so much stronger than everyone elses at the time.

George's father Ramon moved to New York when George was very young. Ramon worked very hard, often 18 hour days at two different jobs, to save money to eventually move George and his mother Juanita to the States. In 1996, when he was 14 years old, Ramon had finally collected enough money, and Juanita and George moved to New York. They lived in the Bronx, and George immediately became a huge Yankees fan. That year, 1996, the Yankees would win their first World Series since 1978. The Yankee dynasty of the late 90's had just begun, and George Diaz was thrown awe-struck into the middle of it. The Yankees had several latin american players on their team in the late 90's, including Ramiro Mendoza, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Bernie Williams. George Diaz admired these players, and hoped that one day, he too, would get the opportunity to play alongside them and wear the Yankee pinstripes.

After several very succesful high school seasons, In 1990, George would be offered scholarships to every major college in the nation. In the end, he chose to stay close to home and went on to pitch for St. Johns University. Conveniently he also got to watch his beloved Yankees on an everyday basis.

George was a starting pitcher for St. Johns. He threw a blazing fastball, and an incredible splitter, but that was all. He didn't posses a change-up, or any breaking balls, and most scouts believed his high velocity and failure to mix things up would not allow him to be an effective starting pitcher on the Major League level.

In 2003, after receiving his degree, George declared his eligibility for the Major League Draft. Scouts rated him as:
Stuff: Brilliant
Movement: Average
Control: Good
Projected Role: MR
Relief Endurance: C
Throws: Left
Height: 6'0'
Weight: 185 lbs

He had his eye on his beloved Yankees in the draft, but what he didn't know was that the Yankees also had their eye on him. After coming off of losing the 2002 RWBL World Series to the Braves, The Yankees would go on to select George Diaz as the next to last pick in the first round of the draft.

Charlie Swagger, GM of the New York Yankees had this to say about the Yankees selection of George Diaz:
"We had the 29th selection in the draft that year and did not expect much in that spot. But as the draft progressed, I noticed that quite a few owners in the middle to latter parts of the draft were placing a higher premium on average starters than good-to-great relievers.

A couple of the relievers started falling off the board, including Ramon Santiago to Texas (who I had my eye on). Diaz was the guy I had my eye on all along as my top choice, as my scouts said he had Brilliant stuff."

That spring, proud to have the opportunity to wear the Pinstripes, George Diaz worked extremely hard with the Yankees coaches, and was converted to a starter in Spring Training of that same year. Diaz' talent and incredible work ethic quickly allowed him to become a top 5 prospect in the league, and he began the year with the Yankees AA Norwich Navigators. Diaz quickly worked his way up to AAA, and by September, the Yankees were struggling with injuries and gave George Diaz the call. The 21 year old Diaz would become the first RWBL draftee to crack the majors and made his major league debut on Sep 16, 2003 against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Diaz received the loss that night surrendering 7 earned runs in 5 innings, but 5 days later he started again against the Angels and received his first major league victory pitching 6.1 and allowing just 2 runs (both unearned).

Diaz went on to pitch in the postseason that year. His highlight of the postseason would be starting as the Game 7 pitcher of the LCS vs the Cleveland Indians. Diaz pitched effectively going 4.2 innings and allowing 3 earned runs on a 3-run HR to Jim Thome in the 1st inning. His endurance got the best of him though, and Diaz was pulled before getting the decision, but the Yankees won that game and advanced to the World Series, only to eventually lose for the second straight year.

Code:

Year             Rec  ERA  IP   K  BB
2003 stats       1-2  6.11 17.2 14 5
2003 postseason  0-1  4.91 11   9  5

End of year ratings Stuff: Brilliant 7, Mvmt: Average 4, Control: Good 6, Velocity 9.

2004
In 2004, Diaz made the Yankees roster again, this time as a reliever, but quickly joined the rotation, and stayed there all season. He finished with a 11-14 record and with a 6.20 ERA in 212 innings pitched. His average against was a very respectable .258, but continued to hang some of his pitches, allowing 58 homeruns.
End of year ratings Stuff: Brilliant 9, Mvmt: Average 5, Control: Good 6, Velocity 9.

2005
Prior to the 2005 season, the Yankees made a big effort to improve their farm system. They were offered a deal by Detroit that included two quality young arms (Gow and Griffin) and Brandon Claussen, a former Yankee farmhand who had won 20 in 2004. On top of that, the Yankees were also offered OF Antonio Silva, and could not pass up the deal. Figuring they could replace Diaz's production with Claussen and also picking up Silva, a can't-miss future All Star outfielder, while giving up Diaz and a few marginal prospects and still managing to dump some salary, the Yankees pulled the trigger and sent Diaz to Detroit on March 1st, 2005.

Heartbroken, Diaz packed his bags and moved to Detroit. Though the Tigers were considered an upcoming perennial force in the American League, Diaz' love for the Yankees and New York made the move very difficult. Despite his troubles, Diaz had his finest season yet for the Tigers that year, going on to finish 16-11 with a 4.15 ERA in 245 innings. George's average against that season was an amazing .217, but he tended to still hang a lot of pitches over the plate and surrendered 51 homeruns. By the end of the season, Diaz would become the #1 starter in The Tigers rotation.
End of year ratings Stuff: Brilliant 9, Mvmt: Average 5, Control: Good 7, Velocity 9.

2006
Though he is still regarded as one of the top arms in the league, the move away from his family and beloved New York has finally taken it's toll on the 24 year old Diaz, and on July 7th of this year, his talents dropped across the board.

Through the first 105 games this season, George Diaz record currently stands at 13-7 with a 4.81 ERA through 183.1 innings. He also managed to make his first All-Star appearance this season Though he has very good control, Diaz still manages to hang some pitches over the plate and has allowed 38 homeruns this season. Nevertheless he still remains the ace of the Tigers staff and is eligible for a contract extension as the end of next season.
Current ratings Stuff: Good 9, Mvmt: Fair 6, Control: Good 7, Velocity 9.

What others have said about George Diaz:
In 2003, after the draft, Stathead and Bill James wrote this in their draft review....

-Stathead: "Applaud this pick, another good one for the Yankees. Diaz is a very good pitcher whose talent opens all sorts of possibilities for which New York can explore. Nice pick"

Bill James: "Instead of following suit with the mid-road starters, New York drafts a very solid MR before they are all gobbled up, and should be very happy with their pick. Diaz is ready for AA at 20 years old, and posts talent ratings of B/A/G. He is also one of the hardest throwers in the draft and it is a surprise he didn't go much earlier."

Chicago Cubs GM Sunny Verma: Diaz is one of the top up and coming young SPs in the league and has a bright RWBL future in front of him

Oakland A's GM Bob Smoot: Diaz is an amazing player and a very interesting story. If he can get those homerun totals down, he will be one of the best RWBL pitchers very soon.

Toronto Blue Jays GM Sean Mcindoe: Good kid, throws heat, tough competitor, but will never be an ace if he doesn't learn to keep the ball in the park.

New York Yankees GM Charlie Swagger: I've been pleased with Silva and used Claussen to acquire Matt Morris later on that season, but I am still a big fan of Diaz. The amount of extra base hits he allows, particularly homeruns, is still troublesome, but he has certainly turned into one of the finest starting pitchers in the league. The fact that he has won over 40 games and won't turn 25 until next year is very impressive to me. He is going to win a lot of games and earn a lot of money in the next ten years. If he stays healthy and plays on a good hitting team for the next 12-13 years, he is a young man that could approach 300 wins. That is a lot to say about a 24 year old kid, but I feel that strongly about the young man.

George Diaz

03-05-2003, 02:41 PM	#1
Raven Minors (Single A) Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 94	RWBL Player Spotlight I wrote this little article on a player in our online league (RWBL) but figured I'd post it here anyway since it is an interesting story. Player Spotlight: George Diaz George Francisco Rodrigo Diaz was born on March 16, 1982. Like many other latin american major leaguers before him, George was born in the poor Dominican Republic town of San Pedro De Marcoris. Like everyone else there, George loved baseball - it was his passion. As a poor child, George often patrolled centerfield barefooted and had an extremely strong throwing arm. Though he was a very good hitter, local coaches persuaded the lefty to become a pitcher because his arm was so much stronger than everyone elses at the time. George's father Ramon moved to New York when George was very young. Ramon worked very hard, often 18 hour days at two different jobs, to save money to eventually move George and his mother Juanita to the States. In 1996, when he was 14 years old, Ramon had finally collected enough money, and Juanita and George moved to New York. They lived in the Bronx, and George immediately became a huge Yankees fan. That year, 1996, the Yankees would win their first World Series since 1978. The Yankee dynasty of the late 90's had just begun, and George Diaz was thrown awe-struck into the middle of it. The Yankees had several latin american players on their team in the late 90's, including Ramiro Mendoza, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Bernie Williams. George Diaz admired these players, and hoped that one day, he too, would get the opportunity to play alongside them and wear the Yankee pinstripes. After several very succesful high school seasons, In 1990, George would be offered scholarships to every major college in the nation. In the end, he chose to stay close to home and went on to pitch for St. Johns University. Conveniently he also got to watch his beloved Yankees on an everyday basis. George was a starting pitcher for St. Johns. He threw a blazing fastball, and an incredible splitter, but that was all. He didn't posses a change-up, or any breaking balls, and most scouts believed his high velocity and failure to mix things up would not allow him to be an effective starting pitcher on the Major League level. In 2003, after receiving his degree, George declared his eligibility for the Major League Draft. Scouts rated him as: Stuff: Brilliant Movement: Average Control: Good Projected Role: MR Relief Endurance: C Throws: Left Height: 6'0' Weight: 185 lbs He had his eye on his beloved Yankees in the draft, but what he didn't know was that the Yankees also had their eye on him. After coming off of losing the 2002 RWBL World Series to the Braves, The Yankees would go on to select George Diaz as the next to last pick in the first round of the draft. Charlie Swagger, GM of the New York Yankees had this to say about the Yankees selection of George Diaz: "We had the 29th selection in the draft that year and did not expect much in that spot. But as the draft progressed, I noticed that quite a few owners in the middle to latter parts of the draft were placing a higher premium on average starters than good-to-great relievers. A couple of the relievers started falling off the board, including Ramon Santiago to Texas (who I had my eye on). Diaz was the guy I had my eye on all along as my top choice, as my scouts said he had Brilliant stuff." That spring, proud to have the opportunity to wear the Pinstripes, George Diaz worked extremely hard with the Yankees coaches, and was converted to a starter in Spring Training of that same year. Diaz' talent and incredible work ethic quickly allowed him to become a top 5 prospect in the league, and he began the year with the Yankees AA Norwich Navigators. Diaz quickly worked his way up to AAA, and by September, the Yankees were struggling with injuries and gave George Diaz the call. The 21 year old Diaz would become the first RWBL draftee to crack the majors and made his major league debut on Sep 16, 2003 against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Diaz received the loss that night surrendering 7 earned runs in 5 innings, but 5 days later he started again against the Angels and received his first major league victory pitching 6.1 and allowing just 2 runs (both unearned). Diaz went on to pitch in the postseason that year. His highlight of the postseason would be starting as the Game 7 pitcher of the LCS vs the Cleveland Indians. Diaz pitched effectively going 4.2 innings and allowing 3 earned runs on a 3-run HR to Jim Thome in the 1st inning. His endurance got the best of him though, and Diaz was pulled before getting the decision, but the Yankees won that game and advanced to the World Series, only to eventually lose for the second straight year. Code: Year Rec ERA IP K BB 2003 stats 1-2 6.11 17.2 14 5 2003 postseason 0-1 4.91 11 9 5 End of year ratings Stuff: Brilliant 7, Mvmt: Average 4, Control: Good 6, Velocity 9. 2004 In 2004, Diaz made the Yankees roster again, this time as a reliever, but quickly joined the rotation, and stayed there all season. He finished with a 11-14 record and with a 6.20 ERA in 212 innings pitched. His average against was a very respectable .258, but continued to hang some of his pitches, allowing 58 homeruns. End of year ratings Stuff: Brilliant 9, Mvmt: Average 5, Control: Good 6, Velocity 9. 2005 Prior to the 2005 season, the Yankees made a big effort to improve their farm system. They were offered a deal by Detroit that included two quality young arms (Gow and Griffin) and Brandon Claussen, a former Yankee farmhand who had won 20 in 2004. On top of that, the Yankees were also offered OF Antonio Silva, and could not pass up the deal. Figuring they could replace Diaz's production with Claussen and also picking up Silva, a can't-miss future All Star outfielder, while giving up Diaz and a few marginal prospects and still managing to dump some salary, the Yankees pulled the trigger and sent Diaz to Detroit on March 1st, 2005. Heartbroken, Diaz packed his bags and moved to Detroit. Though the Tigers were considered an upcoming perennial force in the American League, Diaz' love for the Yankees and New York made the move very difficult. Despite his troubles, Diaz had his finest season yet for the Tigers that year, going on to finish 16-11 with a 4.15 ERA in 245 innings. George's average against that season was an amazing .217, but he tended to still hang a lot of pitches over the plate and surrendered 51 homeruns. By the end of the season, Diaz would become the #1 starter in The Tigers rotation. End of year ratings Stuff: Brilliant 9, Mvmt: Average 5, Control: Good 7, Velocity 9. 2006 Though he is still regarded as one of the top arms in the league, the move away from his family and beloved New York has finally taken it's toll on the 24 year old Diaz, and on July 7th of this year, his talents dropped across the board. Through the first 105 games this season, George Diaz record currently stands at 13-7 with a 4.81 ERA through 183.1 innings. He also managed to make his first All-Star appearance this season Though he has very good control, Diaz still manages to hang some pitches over the plate and has allowed 38 homeruns this season. Nevertheless he still remains the ace of the Tigers staff and is eligible for a contract extension as the end of next season. Current ratings Stuff: Good 9, Mvmt: Fair 6, Control: Good 7, Velocity 9. What others have said about George Diaz: In 2003, after the draft, Stathead and Bill James wrote this in their draft review.... -Stathead: "Applaud this pick, another good one for the Yankees. Diaz is a very good pitcher whose talent opens all sorts of possibilities for which New York can explore. Nice pick" Bill James: "Instead of following suit with the mid-road starters, New York drafts a very solid MR before they are all gobbled up, and should be very happy with their pick. Diaz is ready for AA at 20 years old, and posts talent ratings of B/A/G. He is also one of the hardest throwers in the draft and it is a surprise he didn't go much earlier." Chicago Cubs GM Sunny Verma: Diaz is one of the top up and coming young SPs in the league and has a bright RWBL future in front of him Oakland A's GM Bob Smoot: Diaz is an amazing player and a very interesting story. If he can get those homerun totals down, he will be one of the best RWBL pitchers very soon. Toronto Blue Jays GM Sean Mcindoe: Good kid, throws heat, tough competitor, but will never be an ace if he doesn't learn to keep the ball in the park. New York Yankees GM Charlie Swagger: I've been pleased with Silva and used Claussen to acquire Matt Morris later on that season, but I am still a big fan of Diaz. The amount of extra base hits he allows, particularly homeruns, is still troublesome, but he has certainly turned into one of the finest starting pitchers in the league. The fact that he has won over 40 games and won't turn 25 until next year is very impressive to me. He is going to win a lot of games and earn a lot of money in the next ten years. If he stays healthy and plays on a good hitting team for the next 12-13 years, he is a young man that could approach 300 wins. That is a lot to say about a 24 year old kid, but I feel that strongly about the young man. George Diaz