Diaz And Bay Named Northern League Pitcher And Player Of The Week
Published on August 2, 2010 under Northern League (NL) News Release
Designated hitter Juan Diaz of the Winnipeg Goldeyes was named Northern League Player of the Week, and Joliet JackHammers pitcher Bear Bay received the Northern League Pitcher of the Week honors for the period ending August 1st, 2010.
Diaz, a two-time Northern League home run champ, batted .500 (14-for-28) with three home runs, nine runs scored, and a league-high 12 RBI in seven games played for the Goldeyes. On the season he is batting .317 with 17 home runs and 53 RBI.
Diaz is playing his second season in Winnipeg after having played parts of the previous two years in Joliet. Having led the league in both 2007 (28 HR) and 2009 (29 HR), the prodigious slugger currently has 86 career home runs in the Northern League.
The 6-4, 298-pounder, is a 14-year veteran with major league experience. He made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox in 2002. He first signed with the Goldeyes on April 21st, 2009. Including one home run in the Major Leagues with Boston, Diaz has 271 career home runs and over 1,200 career hits.
Diaz was initially signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1996 following his defection from Cuba, but Major League Baseball voided his contract in 1999 after it was ruled the Dodgers illegally signed him as an amateur. He also spent time in the Orioles, Twins, and Cardinals organizations.
Bay, who ranks second in the Northern League with 72 strikeouts, went 1-0 with a 1.06 ERA during the week for the Joliet JackHammers. In two starts for the âHammers, he hurled 17 innings yielding only two runs on seven hits. On July 26th versus Schaumburg, he went the distance earning his fifth victory of the season. He followed it up with eight innings of two-hit ball versus Gary SouthShore on July 31st. Despite leaving the game with a 3-1 lead, he received a no-decision as Joliet went on to win the game in extra innings.
Playing in his eighth season of professional baseball and third in the Northern League, Bay has a career 21-14 record in the NL. He pitched the previous two season with the Winnipeg Goldeyes prior to joining Joliet in 2010. He was acquired by the JackHammers on September 2nd, 2009 with pitcher Matt Davis and infielder Brent Metheny to complete an earlier trade where the Goldeyes acquired third baseman Vince Harrison.
Over 15 appearances in 2010, Bay is 5-4 with a 3.36 ERA. In each of the previous two seasons for the Fish, he notched eight wins while starting 20 and 22 games respectively.
Bay, who's birth name is Ronald, was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 25th round of the 2002 MLB Amateur Draft. He played two seasons in the Cubs farm system, two in the Cleveland Indians, and one in the Texas Rangers minor leagues prior to joining the Goldeyes in '08. He played collegiately at Angelina Junior College (Lufkin, TX).
Northern League Stories from August 2, 2010
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- Fielders Split Doubleheader with Fargo - Lake County Fielders
- RailCats Rally Falls Short as Goldeyes Win Series Opener - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- Goldeyes Squeak Past RailCats - Winnipeg Goldeyes
- Gomes Homers Twice as Flyers Flog RiverHawks - Rockford RiverHawks
- RailCats Host Critical Series Versus Winnipeg - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- Diaz Nabs Player Of The Week Award - Winnipeg Goldeyes
- Diaz And Bay Named Northern League Pitcher And Player Of The Week - NL
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