Flavio Alfaro, former Aztecs shortstop and Olympian, dies at 59

Flavio Alfaro, a key member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Baseball team, died Wednesday of pancreatic cancer.

He was 59.

Alfaro lived in Sacramento where he worked as a salesman and farmer.

Alfaro, a shortstop, played two years at San Diego State for coach Jim Dietz, batting .387 with 11 homers, 14 doubles and 52 RBIs in ’84 before the Olympics.

The ’84 Olympic Team lost 6-3 to Japan in the gold medal game.

Of the 20 players on the U.S. Team, 13 were drafted in the first round, including Chris Gwynn, who played at San Diego State and for the Padres, and former Padres Gary Green and Shane Mack.

Other players on the U.S. team included Mark McGwire, Barry Larkin, Will Clark, Cory Snyder, Bobby Witt, Bill Swift and Oddibe McDowell.

Alfaro was drafted in the fourth round by the Atlanta Braves, but played only one season of professional baseball. He batted .193 in 110 games for the Braves’ Class A affiliate.

He was traded to Milwaukee and became embroiled in a contract dispute with the Brewers and retired.

Alfaro attended Poly High School in San Fernando, then played for two seasons at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita. He batted .361 and .369 in his two seasons there.