Two weeks of an unbeatable swing
Greatness in baseball can impact through small numbers.
December 17, 1995
This Tuesday, as you probably remember, marked the 29th anniversary of the four-homer game by Alberto Díaz, former infielder for the Matanzas teams. Díaz went 4-for-4 with four homers and 10 RBI in Matanzas' 13-12 victory over Camagüey. One of the most surprising news that afternoon was that Díaz equaled the record of Camagüey slugger Leonel Moas Sr.
On December 10, 1989, Moas Sr. became the first batter to hit four homers in a National Series game, accomplishing the feat at the Mártires de Barbados stadium against the Granma team. He hit homers in the second, fifth, seventh and ninth innings—the last three to left field, and two of them against right-hander Ernesto Guevara Ramos. Moas Sr. reigned with one of the most spectacular records in the National Series for six years, one month and six days until the swing of Alberto Diaz, a player who was usually used as a substitute in the Matanzas lineup, appeared.
Let's go back to where I think it all began. Two weeks before he was trending in national baseball news headlines, Alberto Diaz began an impressive offensive streak at the plate. He played 16 seasons wearing the uniform of three teams from the province of Matanzas. He made his debut in 1984 with Henequeneros, then moved on to Citricultores and finished his career playing eight of his last nine seasons with Matanzas.
Diaz played 16 seasons in his career but was, basically, a substitute player within a lineup full of elite hitters. That was a handicap he tried to overcome for much of his career, but it is also worth remembering that on more than one occasion he took advantage of opportunities. When batting average was the big statistic to look at in the Cuban National Series through the mid-1990s, Diaz hit .300 or better in three seasons. All of those were in the last five years of his career.
He also wasn't known around the league for his power. Diaz could sometimes hit extra bases, was an above-average baserunner, and when he was on a roll, he tended to be more patient. That plate discipline helped him improve his on-base percentage and start walking. In short, Diaz could do a little damage at his best as a hitter, but he didn't really sport the kind of menacing swing that often crushes pitches.
For that reason, I think Alberto Díaz's four-homer game could qualify as one of the most surprising milestones in Cuban baseball history. When you hear that Leonel Moas Sr. hit the first four-homer game, nothing surprises you. Moas Sr. hit 272 homers in 15 seasons. He had nine seasons with at least 10 homers, and in 1988, he recorded a combined 34 homers in the National Series (17) and the Selective Series (17), respectively. Moas Sr. averaged 18 homers and 70 strikeouts per season, the performance of a classic slugger.
After Alberto Díaz, the next member of the club took less than two years to join: Omar Linares became the third batter to hit four home runs in a game, a feat he accomplished on April 8, 1997 against Villa Clara pitchers at the Capitán San Luis stadium, during the II Copa Revolución baseball game. Omar finished his 20-season career with 404 home runs—third all-time in National Series—and slashed an impressive .368/.487/.644/1.131 in 7,354 plate appearances.
So, it really sounds reasonable not to be alarmed when you hear that Moas Sr. and Linares each hit four home runs in one game. Instead, such a feat led by Alberto Díaz simply reminds us how unpredictable baseball can be. Here’s one of the main reasons: Díaz played 16 seasons and hit just 67 home runs. That brings us back to an average of 4.2 home runs per season. Yes, 4.2! So, in just four plate appearances on that afternoon of December 17, 1995, Diaz's swing practically matched his career average.
The game of baseball is so magical that we sometimes forget some small details that can make a significant difference. Many of the batters who have hit three home runs in a game have been left without a next opportunity with another plate appearance. This happens especially when the batter does not hit a home run in his first time at bat. Another point here is that, even to get four home runs in a game, baseball reminds us that it is a team game. Diaz was fortunate enough to make five trips to the plate. In the first four he hit a home run: