FL Lake Erie Crushers

Lake Erie's Eric Gonzalez-Diaz Pitches in World Baseball Classic

Published on March 13, 2013 under Frontier League (FL)
Lake Erie Crushers News Release


AVON, Ohio -- Every off-season presents a different set of challenges for Lake Erie Crushers' pitchers, but this off-season has been a little different for Lake Erie right-hander, Eric Gonzalez-Diaz.

Gonzalez-Diaz, who will begin his third season with the Crushers in May, is playing in the World Baseball Classic for Spain. What makes his situation unique is the fact that he's the only native Spaniard on the team.

His experience in the World Baseball Classic has allowed him to face the likes of Miguel Cabrera, Yadier Molina, Pablo Sandoval, and Elvis Andrus. Facing those kinds of Major League Baseball All Stars should really help Gonzalez-Diaz as he prepares for his third season in Avon.

"It was an amazing experience for me," said Gonzalez-Diaz. "I learned that if you make good pitches, you can get anybody out, but if you make mistakes, especially against the guys I faced, they're going to make you pay. As I get ready for the 2013 season, knowing that I faced a bunch of big leaguers, including four All Stars, I couldn't think of a better way to prepare."

Selected by the San Diego Padres in the 24th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft, Gonzalez-Diaz spent three seasons in the Padres minor league system, eventually reaching AAA Portland in 2010. He had his finest season in the minors with the Arizona Padres in 2008, going 2-0, with a 1.19 ERA over 13 games.

He burst onto the scene for the Crushers in 2011. The right-hander missed over half the season, but still did extremely well, going 4-1, with a 3.11 ERA over six starts. Last season, he made 22 appearances, and went 7-10 with a 4.56 ERA. Gonzalez-Diaz nearly tossed a no-hitter against the Washington Wild Things on Aug. 5, 2012. He retired the first 22 batters he faced, and came three outs away from a no-hitter in a game the Crushers went on to win, 1-0.

Gonzalez-Diaz and the Crushers will begin their quest for a second Frontier League Championship on Friday, May 17, when they square off against the Gateway Grizzlies at All Pro Freight Stadium in the 2013 opener. The first pitch will be delivered at 7:05 PM.

The Lake Erie Crushers, the 2011 Frontier League Organization of the year, play ball at All Pro Freight Stadium, a 5,000 capacity stadium located in Avon, OH. The Frontier League is an independent baseball league with 14 teams operating throughout the Midwest. Season tickets for the 2012 season are on sale now! For more information on tickets, promotions and team news, visit the team website at www.LakeErieCrushers.com or call 440-934-3636.

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Frontier League Stories from March 13, 2013


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