Cleveland Minor League Collection: Danys Baez 2000 Multi-Ad Akron Aeros
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Filled another small gap in my Cleveland minor league card collection: 2000 Mult-Ad Akron Aeroes Danys Baez, his first issued card.
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If you don’t remember: Cleveland signed Danys Baez, who defected from the Cuban national team during the Pan American Games in the summer of 1999, to a four-year, $14.5 million contract. At the time, Cleveland was on a run of five straight American League Central championships, but the lack of front-line pitching kept them from winning the World Series. It was hoped Baez could help get the team over that hump.
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Cleveland went hard after Baez. This was primarily driven because of the desperate need for talented pitching, but also because they didn’t want to lose out on a second talented Cuban pitcher in as many seasons. In 1998 Cleveland finished second, behind the Yankees, for Cuban defector Orlando Hernandez. In 1999, his second season in the majors, Hernandez went 17-9 and was the MVP of the AL Championship Series. Exactly the kind of pitcher they needed.
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Not that any of this matters. Baez was a decent pitcher in his three years with Cleveland, but not in the same class as Hernandez. He was selected to one All-Star team, in 2005, while pitching for the Rays.