The excitement and pride boiled quickly inside him, pushing Aledmys Diaz near tears Thursday morning. Nonetheless, he stoically disguised his emotions after Cardinals manager Mike Matheny told him he had earned a spot on the National League All-Star team.
The Cardinals’ rookie shortstop received the news with such calm, Matheny wondered if he had already been told he would replace injured teammate Matt Carpenter at next week’s Midsummer Classic in San Diego.
“He was the least emotional I think I’ve ever seen any guy,” Matheny said. “He held it together really well in front of me. It was almost like, ‘Did you already know this?’
“He said no. I think he had been dreaming about this being a reality. He hasn’t had his head in the sand. He realizes where he is and what he’s been doing. Then with Carp going down we needed a representative.”
Don’t let Diaz’s stoic reaction fool you. In those few minutes inside the manager’s office, he let his mind wander from Villa Clara, Cuba, to the Netherlands; Mexico; Jupiter, Fla.; West Palm Beach, Fla.; St. Louis and several stops along his circuitous journey to become an All-Star.
If you’ve ever felt alone in a foreign place, let Diaz’s All-Star berth serve as a beacon of hope. If you wonder if you’ll ever return home, feel free to garner strength from the shortstop’s journey.
If you fail to understand how much Latin American players sacrifice to reach the majors, especially the Cubans, learn about Diaz.
Unlike the stars from the Dominican Republic, Mexico or Venezuela — not to mention the Puerto Ricans with U.S. citizenship — Cuban ballplayers chase their Major League dreams knowing they may never see some loved ones again.
Diaz, who will turn 26 on Aug. 1, began his trek to the majors by defecting in the Netherlands on a trip with the Cuban national team in 2012. He eventually established residency in Mexico, where he vaguely remembers watching baseball’s Midsummer Classic for the first time in 2013.
He signed with the Cardinals on March 9, 2014. He drew inspiration later that summer as he watched Yankees great Derek Jeter play in his final All-Star Game. Four years after defecting and three years after watching his first All-Star Game, Diaz has earned his spot among the game’s greats.
After getting the news from Matheny at 10:30 a.m., Diaz rushed to call his pregnant wife Ayara and his parents Rigoberto and Kenia back in West Palm Beach. Then, he called his paternal grandfather Rigoberto and his uncles Nelson, William and Jorge Diaz in his hometown of Villa Clara.
“My grandfather was very, very happy,” he said. “He told me he sensed that I would be part of the All-Star team.”
Diaz will be joined by his wife and parents in San Diego for the All-Star festivities next week. He has secured visas for his grandfather to visit him in the U.S. in recent years, but he cannot get one quickly enough to have him at the All-Star Game.
He would also love to share the experience with his uncles Nelson, William and Jorge Diaz, but they must settle for watching videos of his exploits. These are just a few of the sacrifices Cuban ballplayers are accustomed to making after defecting from Fidel and Raul Castro’s Cuba.
“It’s very difficult,” he said. “The situation we have is atypical. We can’t truly share our accomplishments with our closest families, but that’s also what gives us more strength to keep marching forward and sacrifice even more.
“Knowing we have a lot of opportunities that other Cubans don’t have, which is to live in a free country and to have an opportunity to play in the best baseball league in the world, I think we also take the negative parts to give us strength.”
The Cardinals would be wise to embrace Diaz’s mindset. He’s the perfect example of the type of player Matheny needs now that their first All-Star selection, Carpenter, has joined slugger Brandon Moss and reliever Kevin Siegrist on the disabled list.
Carpenter, a three-time All-Star, was off to the best start of his career while leading the NL in on-base percentage (.420) and being second in doubles (25) and on-base-plus-slugging (.988).
Kolten Wong must find a way to step up and prove that he can be a productive second baseman while Carpenter is out. Wong must take advantage of this opportunity, just as Diaz took advantage after injuries to Jhonny Peralta and Ruben Tejada opened up a spot in the majors for him on April 5.
“We have a Moss go down, opportunity,” Matheny said. “We have a Carpenter go down, opportunity. What are you going to do with it? Don’t let anybody limit you.
“I think that’s the story of Aledmys Diaz right now is the fact that he had that little chance and he jumped in. He had a crack in the door and he kicked it. He’s refusing to let it shut, and that’s really how most people get the start of their career in this business.”
Diaz had modest expectations when he joined the club in Pittsburgh for the second game of the season. His first objective was to prove to the organization and his teammates that he belonged in the majors. He didn’t even bother to put an All-Star nod on his list of goals.
The rookie from Villa Clara, Cuba, is more than just an everyday player. He’s a proud All-Star.
“It was very exciting when (Matheny) told me,” he said. “A lot of things went through my mind, all that has happened in my career and with my family, which is the most important thing, and my teammates.
“You become emotional. You think of all the people that have helped you in your career. It’s a very happy moment. I think when I’m at the All-Star Game I will take it all in and rejoice fully.”
