- For the U.S. Navy officer, see Matthew Diaz.
 Diaz, with the Braves in June 2007 |
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|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves — No. 23 | |
| Left field | |
| Born: March 3 1978 | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
| July 19, 2003 for the Tampa Bay Rays | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through 2007) |
|
| Batting average | .320 |
| Home runs | 21 |
| Runs batted in | 89 |
| Teams | |
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Matthew Edward Diaz (born March 3, 1978 in Portland, Oregon) is a Major League Baseball player with the Atlanta Braves. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 1999 amateur draft in the 17th round.
Contents |
Career
As a two-year starter at Florida State University, Diaz helped lead the Seminoles to two College World Series appearances, including the 1999 title game vs. the University of Miami. He was named the Sporting News Freshman of the Year in 1998, and a First Team All-American (American Baseball Coaches Association, National Baseball College Writers' Association) in 1999. Despite being among the Ray`s minor league career leaders in hits and extra base hits, Diaz had a tough time in the majors, hitting only .167 in 30 at-bats over two years. After being released by Tampa Bay, Diaz signed with the Kansas City Royals where he hit .281 with 10 extra base hits (including 1 HR) and 12 RBIs in a backup role in 2005. On December 19, 2005, Diaz was traded to the Atlanta Braves for minor league pitcher Ricardo Rodriguez. Diaz earned a backup outfielder spot for the Braves during spring training. His surprising play in 2006 was one of the few bright spots for the team. Appearing in 124 games, including many starting assignments in the second half of the season, Diaz batted .327 in 297 at-bats. Diaz had his first career two-homer game on August 29, 2007 against the Florida Marlins. On September 5, he hit a three-run walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth to give the Braves a a 9-8 win. Diaz is known for his unorthodox yet highly effective style of hitting. His trademark batting stance includes Diaz stretching his back by leaning backwards before every pitch.
Trivia
- On August 14, 2006, Diaz had four hits for the second straight day and tied the National League record with ten straight hits. He grounded out in the 9th inning to end the streak.
- He endorses the Americanized pronunciation of his surname as DYE-az, rather than the more common Latin-accented DEE-az. He claims that his grandfather's employer pronounced it like that and to gain liking from the employer, he responded. The name has stuck since.
- After several mediocre seasons with the Devil Rays and Royals, Diaz was given an eye test by the Braves and it was revealed that his depth perception was "virtually non-existent." The Braves issued him corrective lenses to balance his vision.
- Diaz grew up with a batting cage in his backyard.
- His favorite football team is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Quotes
- On not being an everyday player: "[A] lot of people would think about the money they're not making if they don't play every day, but we all make enough money."[1]
See also
Sources
- http://www.baseball-reference.com/d/diazma02.shtml
- http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=429841
- Start Matt Diaz Blog
