There are now over 120 deaths confirmed in the tragedy that took place at a night club in the Dominican Republic early Tuesday morning. Former MLB players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco among those dead, ESPN reports.
Also among the perished was Nelsy Cruz, sister of seven-time All-Star Nelson Cruz.
“Major League Baseball is deeply saddened by the passings of Octavio Dotel, Tony Blanco, Nelsy Cruz, and all the victims of last night’s tragedy in Santo Domingo,” said MLB commissioner Rob Manfred in a statement. “We send our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of all those who have been affected and to our colleague Nelson and his entire family.”
Since the story broke, fellow former MLB player Esteban Germán told MLB insider Héctor Gómez that in the final seconds of his life, Tony Blanco pushed Germán out of the way of falling roof.
“Former MLB player Esteban Germán told me that at the time of the collapse in Jet Set,” wrote Héctor Gómez in an X post. “He was returning from the bathroom and, before sitting down at the table, Tony Blanco pushed him when he realized part of the ceiling was about to fall on him.”
Germán survived the collapse, but sadly Blanco did not.
An investigation to the causation of the collapse has been launched, but as it stands now, rescue efforts are still underway. The Dominican Republic is a nation deeply entrenched in Major League Baseball’s culture and many teams have taken to social media to offer their condolences.
“The connection between baseball and the Dominican Republic runs deep, and we are thinking of all the Dominican players and fans across the game today,” said the MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark.
Remembering Octavio Dotel
Octavio Dotel, 51, had a lucrative career, playing for 13 teams in the MLB over the course of his 15 year career. He set an MLB record for most teams played with prior to his retirement in 2013, a record that has since been broken.
“I’ve been with so many teams because everybody wants some piece of Dotel,” Dotel told MLB.com in 2012. “It’s something you’ve got to enjoy and feel good about. You don’t want this to happen every year, but if it happens, it’s like, ‘OK, thank you everybody, I appreciate everything. Thank you for having me here,’ and you move on.”
Dotel’s career was highlighted by back to back world series appearances in 2011 and 2012 with the St Louis Cardinals and the Detroit Tigers respectively.
“Dotel pitched well for St. Louis down the stretch, then had a 2.61 ERA and 14 strikeouts over 10 1/3 postseason innings,” wrote Jason Foster and Andrew Simon of MLB.com. “He tied for the team lead with five appearances in the World Series as the Cardinals pulled out a dramatic, seven-game victory over the Rangers.”
Another standout moment in Octavio Dotel’s career came when he recorded the rare four strikeout inning, made possible by a runner reaching on a drop third strike, in a combined no hitter for the Houston Astros over the New York Yankees.
Remembering Tony Blanco
Tony Blanco, 43, was a baseball journey-man, spending nearly eight years in the minors highlighted by a 56 game stint with the Washington Nationals in 2005 where he sent one over the fence. After leaving the MLB, Blanco played professional baseball in Japan and the Dominican Republic.
“His legacy will live on in the history of national baseball,” the ministry said in a statement on social media. “We share in their grief with their family, friends, and colleagues, and we offer our prayers for their eternal rest.”
Tony Blanco’s son, Tony Blanco Jr., is currently in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system.
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