Mike Diaz

Michael Anthony Diaz (born April 15, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player. He played all or part of four seasons in Major League Baseball between 1983 and 1988, for the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox. He also played four seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) from 1989 to 1992. After starting his career as a catcher, he split his time about equally between first base and the outfield.

Michael Diaz
Catcher / First baseman / Outfielder
Born: (1960-04-15) April 15, 1960 (age 64) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
Professional debut
MLB: September 15, 1983, for the Chicago Cubs
NPB: April 19, 1989, for the Lotte Orions
Last appearance
MLB: October 2, 1988, for the Chicago White Sox
NPB: June 16, 1992, for the Chiba Lotte Marines
MLB statistics
Batting average	.247
Home runs	31
Runs batted in	102
NPB statistics
Batting average	.281
Home runs	93
Runs batted in	264
Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
Chicago Cubs (1983) Pittsburgh Pirates (1986–1988) Chicago White Sox (1988) Lotte Orions/Chiba Lotte Marines (1989–1992)
Career highlights and awards
NPB All-Star (1989)

He was traded along with Bill Campbell from the Cubs to the Philadelphia Phillies for Gary Matthews, Bob Dernier and Porfi Altamirano on March 27, 1984.^[1]

A fan favorite in Pittsburgh, he earned the nickname "Rambo" due to his prodigious power & Stallone-esque physique. He even appeared on his own "Rambo" poster^[2] with the proceeds going to Pittsburgh's Children's Hospital. Following his major league career, he played four seasons in Japan, from 1989 until 1992, for the Lotte Orions (who in 1992 became the Chiba Lotte Marines). He was nicknamed "Rambo-san" there due to a perceived resemblance to Sylvester Stallone.^[3] In 1990, he became the first foreign player to catch a game in NPB in 12 years.^[3]

References

1. "Phillies And Cubs In Trade," United Press International (UPI), Tuesday, March 27, 1984. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
2. "Mike Diaz's enduring legacy with the Pirates: 'That's Rambo, 100 percent'".
3. Japan Baseball Daily foreign batters page, D through F Archived 2006-05-17 at the Wayback Machine

External links

• Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)