SAN FRANCISCO — When Rockies reliever Daniel Bard enters the clubhouse at Coors Field, he’s often accompanied by his two sons.
Davis, 7, and Sykes, 5, usually wear miniature Rockies jerseys, complete with No. 52 and “Bard” emblazoned on the back. But they don’t hang around their dad for very long. They make a beeline for first-time All-Star catcher Elias Diaz, whose locker is a few doors down.
“He messes with my kids every time I bring them into the clubhouse,” Bard said with a chuckle. “They call him ‘The Crazy Guy.’ They’ll ask me, ‘Is The Crazy Guy going to be there?’
“They come in looking for him every day. They get into a wrestling match and Elias usually puts them in a laundry basket or something.”
It’s not just the kids who gravitate toward Diaz. His locker is the hub of the Colorado clubhouse.
“He’s a happy guy, always smiling,” said right-hander Antonio Senzatela. “He works so hard and he cares so much, but he’s a happy guy. You need guys like that. He’s my good friend.”
Last week, when manager Bud Black announced that Diaz had been selected for Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, the clubhouse erupted with cheers. Diaz shed some tears.
Díaz is an All-Star, who's cutting onions 🥹 pic.twitter.com/ZKTDNjLIEB
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) July 2, 2023
“It was special for me, for sure,” said Diaz, the first catcher in Rockies history to be named to the Midsummer Classic.
Diaz, 32, from Maracaibo, Venezuela, has been toiling behind the plate for a long time. He was initially signed by the Pirates at age 17 in 2008 and played his first season of professional baseball in 2009 for the VSL Pirates in the Venezuelan Summer League.
“He’s a grinder and he’s played the game a long time and it took him a while to find his stride,” Bard said. “But it seems like he appreciates the game every day he’s at the ballpark. It’s been fun to watch him grow.”
With an appearance in Tuesday night’s game, Diaz would become one of 10 Venezuelan-born catchers to play in an All-Star Game.
This season, he’s slashed .277/.328/.435 with nine home runs and 45 RBIs. Among big-league catchers, Diaz is tied for second in games behind the plate (74), tied for third in hits (77) and is tied for second in runners caught stealing (14).
It’s been a long, tough road for Diaz. The Pirates non-tendered him after the 2019 season and the Rockies, well aware of his reputation as a tough catcher, quickly signed him. After an impressive 2021 season, Diaz signed a three-year, $14.5 million contract, but then he struggled mightily last season.
He hit .228 with nine homers and his 11 errors were the most among all major league catchers and tied with Jeff Reed (1996) for the second-most for a Rockies catcher in franchise history.
He admits now that he put too much pressure on himself. He says he got away from being himself.
“Now I try not to worry about things,” Diaz said back in May when he hit .321 with four home runs and a .896 OPS for the month. “I just go day by day. I take care of today. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, so what matters is today.”
Behind the plate, Diaz is stoic. He wears his black-and-blue bruises like purple hearts.
“He’s really tough, he doesn’t want to quit,” Senzatela said. “He gets beat up sometimes with foul balls and everything. But he wants to be out there for every game. Nothing is going to stop him.”
Once Diaz is off the field, he lets his guard down and his smile lights up the room.
“It’s who I am,” he said. “And, baseball is baseball. I try to separate that from the rest of my life. You have to take care of your friends and your family. It’s just the way I am. I try to be happy all of the time and I mess around with everybody.”
Black understands why Diaz has become so important in the Rockies’ clubhouse.
“Players know when a guy is a good person, is invested in the team and truly cares,” Black said. ” ‘Ellie’ is one of those guys. He’s a workhorse. He’s a beast when it comes to work ethic and that’s admired by his teammates, especially at a demanding position like catcher.”
As for Davis and Sykes calling him “The Crazy Man,” Diaz is cool with that.
“That’s OK, they are my little friends,” he said with a smile.
Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.
