Former Major League Baseball pitcher Octavio Dotel was among the dozens killed when the roof of a nightclub in the Dominican Republic collapsed during the early hours of Tuesday morning.
At least 58 people died and 160 were injured at the nightclub in Santo Domingo where a crowd that included athletes and politicians were attending a merengue concert.
Dotel, who was 51 at the time of his death, started his 15-year MLB career with the New York Mets in 1999. He played for a then record 13 different teams, spending the most time with the Houston Astros between 2000 and 2004. His career high-point came when he was part of the St Louis Cardinals that won the World Series in 2011. His final season in the majors was with the Detroit Tigers in 2013. Dotel was known as a strikeout pitcher and at his peak was one of the best relievers in the league.
“We are heartbroken to learn the tragic news that former Astros pitcher Octavio Dotel was one of several individuals that passed away when a roof collapsed in his native Dominican Republic last night,” the Astros said in a statement on Tuesday. “While in Houston, he was one of the top relievers in all of baseball and was a significant part of a dominant bullpen that included Hall of Famer Billy Wagner and All-Star Brad Lidge. A workhorse, Dotel’s club-leading 159 appearances in 2002-03 combined were second in the Majors in that span, during which he posted a 2.15 ERA.”
During the Mets-Marlins broadcast on Tuesday afternoon, longtime Mets play-by-play announcer Gary Cohen said: “Everyone who ever met Octavio loved him.”
Another Dominican baseball player, Tony Blanco, was killed in the collapse. He had briefly played for the Washington Nationals in 2005.
Dotel overcame significant challenges on his way to the majors, including the death of his father who was murdered during a robbery. Dotel said he used baseball as a way of keeping his mind off his father’s death. “I can do nothing if I go to the ballpark and think about him all the time,” Dotel said. “I just have to keep playing hard and get what I’m looking for. I think God helps me because I’m here. I’m here and I appreciate it. I would enjoy it more if my dad was still here, but everybody’s got to die.”
Jet Set, the nightclub where Tuesday’s tragedy took place, says it is cooperating with authorities. “The loss of human life leaves us in a state of deep pain and dismay,” the nightclub said in a statement.
