This piece tells the story of Dámaso García, a talented baseball player who reached his peak with the Toronto Blue Jays in the early 1980s. Despite possessing the skills to be a star, García's refusal to take walks and his confrontational personality ultimately hindered his career.
Dámaso García would have been 68 today. He was born in Moca, Dominican Republic. As a young man, he was more into soccer than baseball. He was captain of the Dominican Republic’s national football (soccer) team at the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1974. The Yankees signed him as an amateur free agent in 1975. Damaso got up to the majors for a few games in 1978 and 1979, but the Yankees had Willie Randolph, and Garcia wasn’t going to move him off second base.
So the Yankees traded him, Chris Chambliss and Paul Mirabella to the Jays for Tom Underwood, Rick Cerone and Ted Wilborn, a trade that worked out well for both teams. The Jays quickly moved Chambliss to the Atlanta Braves. The Jays had the unimpressive paring of future Boston Celtic star Danny Ainge and Canadian Dave McKay at second base, so Garcia was an upgrade. Damaso had an OK rookie season with the Jays, hitting .278/.296/.381. Well, maybe not so OK when you add that he stole 13 bases but was caught 13 times and hit into 14 double plays. Damaso did hit 30 doubles. He finished 4th in the Rookie of the Year voting, getting three first-place votes. It was a very thin rookie class that year. Joe Charboneau won the award, and he wasn’t a great player. Garcia had a poor strike-shortened 1981 season, hitting .252/.277/.304, with steals in 13 of 16 attempts. 1982 was his first good season, the best of his career. He hit .310/.338/.399. He set career highs in runs (89), doubles (32) and stolen bases (54, second best in the AL). It added up to a 4.6 bWAR, the only time he was over 2 in his career in bWAR. He became the first Jay to steal 50 bases. He’d have been a good player if he had learned to take a walk. But, as he said, “I don’t like to walk, and I don’t like to bunt.” I’m with him on the second part. The first part should disqualify you from batting leadoff. Can you imagine a leadoff hitter saying that today? At the time, most players from the Dominican didn’t like to walk. The line was, ‘You couldn’t walk off the island.’ Taking a base on balls was seen as less than masculine or something. He was voted the Silver Slugger award as the best-hitting AL second baseman and received some MVP votes. At that time, the Jays had several promising young players who would get them into the playoffs, with Willie Upshaw, Alfredo Griffin, Lloyd Moesby, Jesse Barfield, George Bell, Jim Clancy and Dave Stieb. 1983 had an almost similar batting line, .307/.336/.390, as in 1982. He stole a few fewer bases (31) but was proving himself to be a decent middle infielder, though maybe illustrating his biggest weakness, he drew his career high in walks that year, with a whopping 24. 1984 saw Damaso’s number fall off some. He hit .284/.310/.374 with 46 steals. He had a huge left/right split, hitting .354 against lefties but .255 against righties. He was always much better vs LHP. He made the All-Star team. Can you imagine a leadoff hitter with a .310 on-base percentage making the All-Star team today? We had three players on the All-Star team that year. Dave Stieb started the game for the AL, and Alfredo Griffin made the team, mostly because he travelled to the game with Garcia, and when Alan Trammell was injured, well, Griffin was there. In 1985, Garcia made the All-Star team again. Why? I don’t know. He hit a big .282/.302/.377 with 28 steals but was caught 15 times and scored 70 runs. He also received 2 MVP votes. The best news about 1985 for the Jays was that we made the playoffs for the first time that season. Garcia led off in all 7 games of our series loss to the Royals, hitting .233/.303/.367 with 4 runs, 4 doubles and 3 walks. 1986 was his last year with the team. He hit much the same as always (.281/.306/.375), but while he always had a bit of a grumpy personality, he struck a new high in temper tantrums. Upset at being removed from the leadoff spot, that his friend Alfredo Griffin was traded in the offseason and that Garcia had a bad game, he had a little bonfire with some bats and his uniform in the clubhouse. After the season, the Jays traded Garcia to Atlanta with Luis Leal for Craig McMurtry. The trade did nothing for either team. Garcia missed the 1987 season and played terribly in his few games in 1988. Before the 1989 season, the Expos signed him as a free agent and hit much like he always had in 80 games, .281/.306/.375, with 9 steals and 6 times caught. After that season, the Yankees signed him as a free agent, but he didn’t make the team, and he retired after 11 seasons. Damaso had all the tools to be an excellent player. He was good defensively, but his refusal to take coaching or, you know, a walk limited him. In his New Historical Baseball Abstract, Bill James listed him as the 101st-best second baseman in baseball history.’ That was several years ago. I’d imagine he would have fallen some since. I like Ernie Whitt’s quote, “When he was healthy and wanted to play, he was the best second baseman in the game,
Dámaso García Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Second Baseman Strikeout On-Base Percentage Silver Slugger Award
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Tenaris Sault Ste. Marie Seeks Talented Individuals for Open RolesTenaris, a leading global manufacturer of pipes and related services, is currently hiring for numerous positions in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The company offers a fast-paced work environment with opportunities for growth, learning, and hands-on experience. Candidates should possess strong technical or analytical backgrounds, relevant manufacturing experience, and a commitment to safety and continuous improvement.
Read more »
Lacrosse Player Faces Charges After Altercation With FansA Halifax lacrosse player is facing assault charges following a viral video of an altercation with fans after a game in Denver.
Read more »
B.C. basketball team to skip games over alleged mistreatment of trans playerTrans-student-athlete Harriette Mackenzie of Vancouver Island University, seen above, is accusing a Columbia Bible College coach of questioning her right to play and allegedly instructing players to target her in games.
Read more »
VIU basketball team to skip games over alleged mistreatment of trans playerAll 13 players on the Vancouver Island University Mariners squad have signed a letter saying they do not feel safe playing at Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, B.C.
Read more »
Former Blue Jays Player Otis Nixon Celebrates 66th BirthdayThis article celebrates the 66th birthday of former Blue Jays center fielder Otis Nixon, highlighting his career achievements, particularly his notable base stealing record with the team. It also touches on Alek Manoah's 27th birthday and his recent injury.
Read more »
NBA Analysis: Victor Wembanyama, Key Injuries, and Player Performance PredictionsThis article analyzes the recent high-quality games in the NBA, highlighting matchups like Cavaliers vs. Thunder and Celtics vs. Thunder. It also discusses the impact of key player absences and provides predictions for player performances, focusing on Paolo Banchero, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kawhi Leonard, Khris Middleton, and Bradley Beal.
Read more »