Heliodoro Díaz

Note: This page is for 1920s pitcher Heliodoro Díaz; for others with the same name, click here.

Heliodoro Bernardo Díaz
(Yoyo)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 5"

• Debut 1926
• Final Game 1935
• Born June 5, 1905 in Puerto Padre Cuba
• Died January, 1989

BR page

Biographical Information

Heliodoro Díaz was a Cuban Winter League and Negro League pitcher of the 1920s and 1930s.

Díaz debuted in 1926, going 7-14 for the Cuban Stars and leading the Negro National League in losses. He was 1-2 for Cienfuegos that winter then was 4-11 for the Stars in 1927. In 1928, the right-hander sported an atrocious 4-16 mark to again lead the NNL in defeats. He went 6-7 that winter for Cienfuegos. He made big strides in 1929 at 6-9 for the Stars and his 102 strikeouts were second in the Negro National League behind Satchel Paige.

Heliodoro had his best Cuban winter in 1929-1930, going 13-3 to pitch Cienfuegos to its first title (it would not take another for 15 years). He led the league in wins, complete games (11) and winning percentage. Díaz had his best US record in 1930, going 11-7 for a Cuban Stars club that was 12-28 when other hurlers got the decision. He hit .208 as a part-time position player as well.

Heliodoro was 3-2 for Regla in 1931-1932 and led Cuba with 23 walks in just 36 1/3 innings. He would not pitch again in the CWL for four years. In 1935, Díaz was 0-1 for the New York Cubans. He went 8-4 for Santa Clara in 1935-1936 to help them to the title, then was again 0-1 for New York in 1936. He faded to 2-7 for Almendares in 1936-1937, pitched two games with no decisions for Marianao in 1937-1938 and tossed one game with a no-decision for Santa Clara in 1938-1939. He went 0-1 for New York in 1939 to wrap up his career.

Overall, Heliodoro was down more than up at 32-60 in the Negro Leagues and 33-25 in the Cuban Winter League. He also appeared for the Estrellas Orientales in the 1937 Dominican League.

Sources

• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
• The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway
• Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History by Jorge Figueredo