CHICAGO — Former Chicago White Sox pitcher Octavio Dotel was amongst 79 folks killed within the Dominican Republic early Tuesday, when the roof of an iconic nightclub collapsed.
The previous Main League Baseball journeyman pitcher performed 15 seasons for 13 groups, showing in 134 video games for the Sox within the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
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The collapse occurred round 1 a.m. throughout a merengue live performance on the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, which drew athletes, politicians and others.
Not less than 155 folks had been injured. It wasn’t instantly clear what brought about the roof to break down.
The Skilled Baseball League of the Dominican Republic posted on X that Dotel died.
Dotel was pulled from the rubble about six hours after the collapse and died within the ambulance on the way in which to the hospital, emergency officers stated.
Dotel, 51, began his main league profession in 1999 with the Mets.
He logged 36 saves for the Houston Astros and the Athletics in 2004.
In 2011, he helped the St. Louis Cardinals win a World Sequence.
Throughout his 15 years within the majors, Dotel recorded 109 saves and logged a 3.78 ERA.
Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northwestern province of Montecristi and sister of seven-time MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz, was additionally killed within the collapse.
Crews are persevering with to seek for potential survivors within the rubble.
“We presume that a lot of them are nonetheless alive, and that’s the reason the authorities right here won’t hand over till not a single particular person stays below the rubble,” stated Juan Handbook Méndez, director of the Middle of Emergency Operations.
The reason for the collapse continues to be being investigated.
The MLB issued a press release, saying, “We’re shocked and saddened by the sudden and tragic demise of former Main League pitcher Octavio Dotel.
Dotel appeared in 758 video games for 13 groups over his 15-year profession, together with components of 5 seasons with the Houston Astros from 2000-2004. On June 11, 2003, he was one in all six Astros pitchers who mixed to throw a no-hitter in opposition to the Yankees in New York.
Dotel helped the St. Louis Cardinals to the 2011 World Sequence championship, going 2-1 with a 2.61 ERA in 12 appearances within the Postseason run.
He saved 109 video games, with a career-high 36 in 2004.
Dotel’s 13 groups are tied with Wealthy Hill for the 2nd-most in MLB historical past, trailing solely Edwin Jackson’s 14.
Dotel was 51 years previous.”
Dotel’s former teammate Mark Buehrle issued a press release, saying, “The very first thing that involves thoughts once I consider him is that he all the time got here to the ballpark with a smile on his face. He was an amazing teammate and nice clubhouse man, but additionally a extremely good pitcher who was an enormous a part of our bullpen.”
José Contreras, one other former teammate, says, “After I acquired the information of Dotel’s tragic demise my coronary heart stopped for a second and broke into items. To speak about Dotel is to speak about happiness and pleasure as a result of he was the happiest particular person I’ve ever recognized. We’ve got misplaced an amazing human being.
Once we had been enjoying collectively, if I had a foul day the one factor I needed to do was to go the place he was and my day would instantly change. However I used to be not the one one, everyone round him would say the identical factor.
This can be a very tough information, I wish to specific my honest condolences to his household.”
AJ Pierzynski, who additionally performed with Dotel, issued a press release, saying, “Everyone who got here throughout Octavio is extremely shocked and saddened to listen to the information. It is actually tough to course of. He was an amazing teammate and higher particular person, one of many funnier guys I have been round in baseball. However when it was his flip to pitch, he was a fierce competitor who all the time wished the baseball. Only a very unhappy day.”
The Related Press and ABC7 Chicago’s Cate Cauguiran contributed to this report.
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