Dámaso García
Position: Second Baseman
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-1, 165lb (185cm, 74kg)
Born: February 7, 1957 in Moca, Dominican Republic
Died: April 15, 2020 (Aged 63-068d) in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Buried: Cementerio Puerta del Cielo, Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional
Debut: June 24, 1978 (Age 21-137d, 11,664th in MLB history)
vs. DET 0 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game: September 12, 1989 (Age 32-217d)
vs. CHC 2 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Full Name: Damaso Domingo Garcia
A surly second baseman who rarely drew walks, Garcia was a good fielder when he hustled, but he was unwilling to dive for balls. Garcia hit above .300 in both 1982 and 1983, but later got into a power struggle with Toronto management, insisting he should be the leadoff batter. Toronto fans were particularly harsh with Garcia, especially after he burned his uniform in the clubhouse after one of his poorer performances. After 29 games in two seasons for the Yankees, Garcia spent seven seasons with the Blue Jays, where he became the club’s career leader in at-bats, hits, and stolen bases. In 1982 Garcia became the first Blue Jay to steal 50 bases in a season, and in 1986 he became the first player to collect 1,000 hits as a Blue Jay. Garcia’s 21-game hitting streak in 1983 tied teammate Lloyd Moseby for the team record, and on June 27, 1986, he tied a ML record by hitting four doubles in a game against the Yankees. He was traded to Atlanta before the 1987 season, then was released after hitting only .117 in 21 games in 1988. He caught on with the Expos in 1989.
