Dámaso García
Encyclopedia
Dámaso Domingo García Sánchez (born February 7, 1955 in Moca
, Dominican Republic
) is a former Major League Baseball
player best known for his time spent with the Toronto Blue Jays
in the 1980s.
Originally he played soccer. In 1974, he was the Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra soccer team's captain. That year he played too as the captain for the Dominican Republic national football team
at XII Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo
.
He played in 29 games over the following two seasons before being traded with Chris Chambliss
and Paul Mirabella
to the Toronto Blue Jays for Tom Underwood
, Rick Cerone
and Ted Wilborn
prior to the season.
As Toronto's second baseman
through , García batted over .300 twice ( and ); stole
54 bases in 1982 (2nd in the American League
) and 46 in (6th in the AL), and was an All-Star
twice (1984–85). He also won the Silver Slugger Award
in 1982.
After being traded with Luis Leal from the Blue Jays to the Atlanta Braves
(for Craig McMurtry) in , García struggled to find a major league home. He played some time with the Braves in and the Montreal Expos
in , but failed to make the cut during the same period with the Los Angeles Dodgers
and New York Yankees
. He retired having compiled a .283 career batting average
, 36 home run
s, 323 RBI
, 490 runs and 203 stolen bases.
and was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. In 1991, Garcia had the tumor removed, and was told that he only have six months to live The effects of the tumor left him with limited speech and certain movement. He recovered enough to throw out the first pitch of a Blue Jays playoff game in 1992. His oldest son suffers from hemophilia. and now runs a baseball camp for hemophiliac children in the Dominican Republic.
Moca, Dominican Republic
Moca is the capital of Espaillat province in the Dominican Republic.Moca is located 11 miles/18 kilometers away from the country’s second biggest city, Santiago De Los Caballeros. Moca is also known for its many great crops and friendly people....
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
) is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player best known for his time spent with the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
in the 1980s.
Originally he played soccer. In 1974, he was the Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra soccer team's captain. That year he played too as the captain for the Dominican Republic national football team
Dominican Republic national football team
The Dominican Republic national football team is the national team of Dominican Republic and is controlled by the Dominican Football Federation. Football is not the most popular sport in the country, losing out to baseball by a large margin...
at XII Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
.
Playing career
García made his major league debut in with the New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
He played in 29 games over the following two seasons before being traded with Chris Chambliss
Chris Chambliss
Carroll Christopher Chambliss is a former Major League Baseball player who played from to for the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves...
and Paul Mirabella
Paul Mirabella
Paul Thomas Mirabella is a former professional baseball pitcher. Mirabella, who threw left-handed, played all or part of thirteen seasons in Major League Baseball for the Texas Rangers , New York Yankees , Toronto Blue Jays , Baltimore Orioles , Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers .Mirabella...
to the Toronto Blue Jays for Tom Underwood
Tom Underwood
Thomas Gerald Underwood was a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies , St...
, Rick Cerone
Rick Cerone
Richard Aldo Cerone from Seton Hall University is a former Major League Baseball player from 1975 to 1992 for the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and Montreal Expos...
and Ted Wilborn
Ted Wilborn
Thaddeaus Inglehart Wilborn is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played during two seasons at the major league level for the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees. He was drafted by the Yankees in the 4th round of the amateur draft...
prior to the season.
As Toronto's second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
through , García batted over .300 twice ( and ); stole
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
54 bases in 1982 (2nd in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
) and 46 in (6th in the AL), and was an All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
twice (1984–85). He also won the Silver Slugger Award
Silver Slugger
The Silver Slugger Award is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball...
in 1982.
After being traded with Luis Leal from the Blue Jays to the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(for Craig McMurtry) in , García struggled to find a major league home. He played some time with the Braves in and the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
in , but failed to make the cut during the same period with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. He retired having compiled a .283 career batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, 36 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 323 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
, 490 runs and 203 stolen bases.
Illness
A year after he retired, Garcia started to have double visionDiplopia
Diplopia, commonly known as double vision, is the simultaneous perception of two images of a single object that may be displaced horizontally, vertically, or diagonally in relation to each other...
and was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. In 1991, Garcia had the tumor removed, and was told that he only have six months to live The effects of the tumor left him with limited speech and certain movement. He recovered enough to throw out the first pitch of a Blue Jays playoff game in 1992. His oldest son suffers from hemophilia. and now runs a baseball camp for hemophiliac children in the Dominican Republic.
See also
- List of players from Dominican Republic in Major League Baseball
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases