SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Octavio Dotel, who pitched for 13 main league groups in a 15-year profession and gained a World Sequence with the St. Louis Cardinals, was among the many useless after a roof collapsed at a nightclub in his native Dominican Republic the place he was attending a merengue live performance. He was 51.
Officers initially mentioned Dotel was rescued from the particles and transported to a hospital, however spokesman Satosky Terrero from the Skilled Baseball League of the Dominican Republic confirmed to The Related Press that Dotel died later Tuesday.
Not less than 79 folks died and 160 have been injured after the collapse on the Jet Set nightclub, officers mentioned. Tony Blanco, who performed one MLB season and eight years professionally in Japan, additionally died following the collapse, Terrero mentioned. Additionally killed was Nelsy Cruz, governor of the Monte Cristi province and the sister of Nelson Cruz, a former MLB participant and present MLB particular adviser to baseball operations.
“Main League Baseball is deeply saddened by the passings of Octavio Dotel, Tony Blanco, Nelsy Cruz, and all of the victims of final evening’s tragedy in Santo Domingo,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred mentioned in a press release. “We ship our heartfelt condolences to the households and pals of all those that have been affected and to our colleague Nelson and his whole household. The connection between baseball and the Dominican Republic runs deep, and we’re considering of all of the Dominican gamers and followers throughout the sport at present.”
MLB Gamers Affiliation govt director Tony Clark mentioned the union stands united with the Dominican neighborhood “amid the incomprehensible unhappiness.”
“We grieve for all of the victims and ship a particular message of help to the households of Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco, who depart an unspeakable void with their passing, and to Nelson Cruz, whose household misplaced a shining gentle with the loss of life of his sister, Nelsy,” he mentioned in a press release.
Dotel signed with the New York Mets in 1993 as an novice free agent and made his main league debut in 1999. A starter early in his profession, he became a dependable and at instances dominant reliever whereas showing in 758 video games from 1999-2013.
When he took the mound for the Detroit Tigers on April 7, 2012, he set the file enjoying for probably the most main league groups at 13. Edwin Jackson broke the file in 2019 when he pitched for his 14th group.
The Mets held a second of silence for Dotel earlier than their recreation Tuesday in opposition to Miami, and a Dominican flag was proven on the video scoreboard.
Dotel’s finest years have been with the Houston Astros within the early 2000s. He was a setup man for star nearer Billy Wagner, making 302 appearances and posting a 3.25 ERA in four-plus seasons. He was the fifth of six pitchers to mix on a no-hitter in opposition to the New York Yankees in 2003. The subsequent 12 months, he was a part of the three-way commerce that introduced Carlos Beltran to the Astros.
Dotel pitched for 9 groups earlier than he landed with the Cardinals, who acquired him from Toronto on the 2011 commerce deadline. He appeared in 12 postseason video games, together with 5 within the World Sequence in opposition to Texas.
In 2013, he pitched on the Dominican Republic group that gained the World Baseball Basic with an 8-0 file.
Dotel completed his main league profession with 1,143 strikeouts in 951 innings, an impressive fee of 10.8 per 9 innings. He had a profession 59-50 file, 109 saves and three.78 ERA.
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In 2019, Dotel and ex-major leaguer Luis Castillo have been amongst 18 folks taken into custody throughout a big U.S. and Dominican legislation enforcement operation in opposition to drug trafficking and cash laundering. Dotel and Castillo have been launched when a Dominican Justice of the Peace decide discovered inadequate proof to attach them to the operation.
