Einar Díaz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Einar Díaz |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Díaz with the Baltimore Orioles
|
|||
| Catcher | |||
| Born: December 28, 1972 Chiriquí Province, Panama |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| September 9, 1996, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 16, 2006, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .254 | ||
| Home runs | 21 | ||
| Runs batted in | 202 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
Einar Antonio Díaz (born December 28, 1972) is a former professional baseball player and coach from Panama. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These teams included the Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Montreal Expos, St. Louis Cardinals, and Los Angeles Dodgers. His career in MLB lasted from 1996 to 2006. After retiring as a player, Díaz became a baseball coach. He is currently a coach for the AAA Gwinnett Stripers team.
Playing Baseball
Einar Díaz started his MLB career in 1996 with the Cleveland Indians. He was a backup catcher for the team. A backup catcher plays when the main catcher needs a rest or gets injured. From 1996 to 1998, he played in a few games.
In 1999, Díaz got his first chance to be the main starting catcher for the Indians. This happened because the regular catcher, Sandy Alomar Jr., was injured. Díaz continued to be the main catcher for the Cleveland Indians in 2001 and 2002.
After the 2002 season, the Indians traded him to the Texas Rangers. He was meant to replace another famous catcher, Iván Rodríguez. This was the last time Díaz was a team's main starting catcher.
He then played as a backup catcher for other teams. In 2004, he played for the Montreal Expos. In 2005, he joined the St. Louis Cardinals. He also played in the minor leagues for the Buffalo Bisons in 2006.
In August 2006, Díaz was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers needed another backup catcher at the time. He played only a few games for the Dodgers. In those games, he got two hits in three at-bats.
After the 2006 season, Díaz signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played for their Triple-A team, the Indianapolis Indians. In 2007, he suffered a serious leg injury while playing. This injury forced him to miss the rest of that season.
Coaching Baseball
Einar Díaz stopped playing baseball at the end of the 2007 season. But he stayed in the sport as a coach. In 2008, he was invited to the Cleveland Indians spring training camp. He worked as a special assistant for catchers.
Later, he became a field coach for the Gulf Coast Orioles. This team is part of the Baltimore Orioles minor league system. In 2009, the Orioles named him the manager of the Rookie League Bluefield Orioles.
Díaz also worked as a batting coach for the Delmarva Shorebirds. In 2013, the Orioles promoted him to assistant hitting coach. He continued in this role until the end of the 2018 season. The entire coaching staff was changed after that season.
For the 2019 season, Díaz became a coach for the AAA Gwinnett Stripers. He continues to help young players develop their skills.
See also
In Spanish: Einar Díaz para niños
