| Dámaso García | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Second baseman | |
| Born:(1957-02-07)7 February 1957 Moca, Dominican Republic | |
| Died: 15 April 2020(2020-04-15) (aged 63) San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 24, 1978, for the New York Yankees | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 12, 1989, for the Montreal Expos | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .283 |
| Home runs | 36 |
| Runs batted in | 323 |
| Stolen bases | 203 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Dámaso Domingo García Sánchez (7 February 1957 – 15 April 2020) was aDominican professionalbaseballsecond baseman, best known for his time spent with theToronto Blue Jays ofMajor League Baseball (MLB), in the 1980s.
García was originally afootballer. In 1974, he was the club captain ofUniversidad Católica Madre y Maestra. That year, García also played as the captain for theDominican Republic national football team at the1974 Central American and Caribbean Games inSanto Domingo.
García made his major league debut in 1978 with theNew York Yankees. He played in 29 games over the following two seasons, before being traded withChris Chambliss andPaul Mirabella to the Toronto Blue Jays forTom Underwood,Rick Cerone, andTed Wilborn, prior to the 1980 season.
As Toronto's regular second baseman from 1980 through 1986, Garcíabatted over .300 twice (1982 and 1983), with his .310 mark placing him 6th in theAmerican League (AL), in 1982. García posted 54stolen bases in 1982 (2nd in the AL) and 46 in 1984 (6th in the AL), and was anAll-Star twice (1984–85). He also won the 1982Silver Slugger Award.
García batted leadoff during most of his tenure with the Blue Jays but was dropped to the ninth spot in the order at the beginning of the 1986 season, where he struggled to adjust.[1] On 14 May 1986, following a loss to theOakland Athletics, García burned his uniform in the hopes of ending the slump.[2] This move angered Toronto managerJimy Williams, who confronted his second baseman in front of the entire team and strained García's relationship with the Blue Jays.[2] He was traded along withLuis Leal to theAtlanta Braves forCraig McMurtry, just before 1987 spring training.
Following the trade, García struggled to find a big league home. He briefly played with the Braves in 1988 and theMontreal Expos in 1989, but failed to make the cut during the same period with theLos Angeles Dodgers andNew York Yankees. García retired, having compiled a .283 career batting average, 36home runs, 323runs batted in (RBI), 490runs, and 203 stolen bases.
A year after he retired, García started to havedouble vision; he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. In 1991, García had the tumor removed and was told he only had six months to live.[3]
The effects of the tumor left García with limited speech and difficulty performing certain functions, such as driving a car. He recovered enough to throw out the first pitch at a Blue Jays playoff game in 1992.[3]
García ran a baseball camp in theDominican Republic for children who havehaemophilia, a condition afflicting his oldest son.[3]
García died inSan Pedro de Macorís, on 15 April 2020, at the age of 63 due to cancer.[4]
