While so many mourned the loss of a vibrant Cuban pitcher whose infectious personality touched the lives of so many, Diaz did so with a heavier heart than most.
"He's not taking it well," said Cardinals backup catcher and Cuban-American Brayan Pena. "This is a guy who grew up with him. They spent so much time together during their youth and stuff like that.
"This is something very painful because for Cuban players, he really meant a lot to us. Our community is very small, and for him to dedicate his life and the stuff he did off the field for my community down there in Miami, that says a lot about his character and the type of person he was off the field.