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| Flavio Alfaro - 1985 Topps Baseball Card |
Flavio Alfaro, a shortstop on the 1984 USA Olympic Baseball team died on January 27, 2021 after a bout with pancreatic cancer. He was 59. The announcement was made on Facebook by a high school classmate.
Alfaro played at the College of the Canyons before transferring to San Diego State University in 1983. His steady defensive play attracted the attention of the United States Olympic Team and coach Rod Dedeaux. He batted .389 in five games for Team USA in 1984. Topps gave him an iconic card in their 1985 set, which also included Mark McGwire's famed Team USA card.
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| Flavio Alfaro - 1984 USA Olympic Team |
The Atlanta Braves drafted Alfaro in the fourth round of the 1984 MLB Draft. After batting .193 in one season with their Class A team in Durham, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers with Rick Cerone for future Hall of Famer Ted Simmons. During the offseason, he had a dispute with Brewers management over the minor league level where he would be placed. Instead of accepting their assignment, Alfaro retired. He became the first player from the 1984 USA Olympic team to retire from professional baseball.
After his baseball career, he worked as a salesman and farmer in Sacramento.
I am saddened to hear about the passing of Flavio Alfaro. He was a great teammate. I have great memories from that summer of 1984. RIP Flavio https://t.co/t9lfhK0P6D
— Don August (@DonAugust38) January 28, 2021
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| Flavio Alfaro 1984 Team USA Media Guide |