Danys Báez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Danys Báez |
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Báez with the Baltimore Orioles
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| Pitcher | ||||||||||||||
| Born: September 10, 1977 Pinar del Río, Cuba |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| May 13, 2001, for the Cleveland Indians | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||
| July 16, 2011, for the Philadelphia Phillies | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 40–57 | |||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 4.25 | |||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 505 | |||||||||||||
| Saves | 114 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Danys Báez González (born September 10, 1977) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He was born in Cuba and later became an American citizen. Báez played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These teams included the Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, and Philadelphia Phillies.
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Danys Báez: A Baseball Journey
Danys Báez was a talented baseball pitcher. He played for many different teams during his career. He was known for his strong arm and ability to pitch in important moments. Let's learn more about his journey in professional baseball.
Early Career with the Cleveland Indians
Danys Báez began his professional career when he signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1999. He quickly moved up through the minor leagues. In his second season, he played for both the Indians and their Triple-A team, the Buffalo Bisons.
He made his first big league appearance on May 13, 2001. He pitched one inning without giving up any runs against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. For the rest of that year, he had a good record of 5 wins and 3 losses. His ERA was 2.91, which is very good for a pitcher.
In 2002, Báez became a starter for the Indians. He won his first start on April 5 against the Detroit Tigers. He made 26 starts that season, finishing with 9 wins and 10 losses. Later that year, he took on the role of closer for the team. A closer is a pitcher who finishes the game, usually in the last inning, to secure a win.
Báez continued to pitch for the Indians in 2003 as a relief pitcher. He worked as both a setup man and a closer. A setup man pitches before the closer. That season, he earned 25 saves. A save happens when a closer finishes a game without letting the other team tie or win.
Playing for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
After leaving the Indians, Báez signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays as a free agent. In 2004, he became their main closer. He had a great year, successfully getting 30 saves out of 33 chances. This was his best year for saves and one of the top performances in Major League Baseball.
In January 2006, Báez was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers hoped he would be their closer while their star closer, Éric Gagné, was injured. However, Báez struggled in this role and was removed from it in May.
Time with the Atlanta Braves
On July 28, 2006, Báez was traded again. This time, he went to the Atlanta Braves. He joined the Braves along with infielder Willy Aybar. In Atlanta, Báez became the setup man for the Braves' new closer, Bob Wickman.
Joining the Baltimore Orioles
Báez signed a three-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles in November 2006. He started as the setup man for the Orioles' closer, Chris Ray. However, Ray got a serious injury in July, and Báez took over as the team's closer.
In March 2008, Báez had to have Tommy John surgery. This is a major elbow surgery that often takes a long time to recover from. Because of this, he missed the entire 2008 season.
Báez made a strong return from his surgery in 2009. On May 22, 2009, he even got his first ever hit in a Major League game. This was a rare event for a pitcher.
Pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies
On December 31, 2009, Báez agreed to a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He officially joined the team in January 2010. That year, he pitched in 51 games for the Phillies.
In 2011, Báez pitched in 29 games for Philadelphia. He was later released by the team on August 1.
Saying Goodbye to Baseball
Danys Báez announced that he was retiring from baseball on February 27, 2012. He had a long career playing for many different teams in Major League Baseball.
Life Off the Field
Danys Báez moved from Cuba to the United States to pursue his baseball career. This happened during the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada. Five years later, his parents were able to join him in the United States.
See also
In Spanish: Danys Báez para niños
- List of baseball players who defected from Cuba
