James Lawrence Deidel is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He bats and throws right-handed. Deidel was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 15th round of the 1967 Major League Baseball Draft. He played only in 1974 with the Yankees. He had two at-bats, in two games, going 0-2. Deidel attended Mullen High School in Denver where he lettered in several sports and Colorado State University in Fort Collins. He had football scholarship offers to several major college programs as a quarterback but opted to accept the Yankee's signing bonus and pursue a professional baseball career instead. In addition to his brief stint with the New York Yankees as a backup catcher to Thurman Munson, Deidel played nine years in the Yankee's farm system including seasons at Johnson City, TN, Oneonta, NY, Kinston, NC, and West Haven, CT. He ended his career in the mid-1970s after several seasons in the AAA International League at Syracuse, New York. He played under legendary manager, Bobby Cox at West Haven and Syracuse. 

June 6th, 1949 in Denver (Age 74)