Danys Báez
Relief pitcher
Born: September 10, 1977 (1977-09-10) (age 32) Pinar del Río, Cuba
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
May 13, 2001 for the Cleveland Indians
Career statistics (through September 16, 2009)
Win-Loss	35-49
Earned run average	4.04
Strikeouts	458
Teams
Cleveland Indians (2001-2003) Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2004-2005) Los Angeles Dodgers (2006) Atlanta Braves (2006) Baltimore Orioles (2007-present)
Career highlights and awards
All-Star selection (2005)

Danys Báez González (born September 10, 1977, in Pinar del Río, Cuba) is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. Báez has previously played for the Cleveland Indians (2001–2003), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2004–2005), Los Angeles Dodgers (2006) and Atlanta Braves (2006). He studied physics in Cuba and loves animals and has a boxer named Lennox in honor of professional boxer Lennox Lewis.

[edit] Biography

[edit] 1999: Pan-Am Games

Báez defected from the Cuban national team at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada. His parents followed him to the United States five years later.

[edit] Cleveland Indians (2001–2003)

Báez was signed by the Cleveland Indians in 1999. In his second season, he played for both the Indians and the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. In his debut, he went a scoreless inning against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Over the rest of the year, he went 5–3 with a 2.91 ERA.^[1]

In 2002, Báez was moved into the starting rotation of the Indians. He won his first start on April 5 of that year facing the Detroit Tigers. In 26 starts, he went 9-10 with a 4.44 ERA. He was given the role of closer in August, where he finished off the season.^[2]

Báez pitched for the Indians as a reliver in 2003. He was both a setup man and a closer that season. He had 25 saves and 10 blown saves, which was tied for the most in the Major Leagues.^[3]

[edit] 2004–present

[edit] Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Báez signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and was their full-time closer in 2004. He was 30 for 33 in save chances, which was a career high and seventh best in the Major Leagues. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers January 14, 2006 along with Lance Carter for Edwin Jackson and Chuck Tiffany.^[4] The Dodgers intended Báez to serve as a closer until the injured Éric Gagné was healthy, but he was removed from the role in May after blowing four saves in four chances.

[edit] Atlanta Braves

Báez was traded to the Braves on July 28, 2006, along with infielder Willy Aybar in exchange for shortstop/third baseman Wilson Betemit. While in Atlanta, he was the set-up man for the Braves' newly-acquired closer Bob Wickman.

[edit] Baltimore Orioles

Báez signed a three-year deal with the Orioles on November 26, 2006. He served as the set-up man for Orioles' closing pitcher Chris Ray, but became the closer after Ray suffered a season ending injury in late July. On March 29, 2008, Baez was placed on the disabled list after having elbow surgery and missed the entire 2008 season.

[edit] 2009 Season

Báez returned from elbow surgery with a great start to the season. On May 22, 2009 Báez got his first major league hit against the Nationals against reliever Kip Wells.

[edit] See also

• List of Major League Baseball all-time saves leaders

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube