A sad occurrence at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic early on Tuesday morning claimed the life of former Major League Baseball player Tony Blanco, who also reportedly saved the life of another former MLB player.
According to Dominican police, the roof of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo fell during a concert, killing over 60 people and injuring scores more. during least three former Major League Baseball players were reportedly present during the event.
Former World Series champion and bullpen pitcher Octavio Dotel escaped the initial collapse but passed away from his wounds while being taken to a nearby hospital, according to a report released by Hector Gomez on Tuesday. Dotel was fifty-one.
Later, Gomez revealed that Tony Blanco, a former first baseman, also perished in the fall. Blanco spent a brief stint in the major leagues with the Washington Nationals in 2005 after playing in the minor leagues with the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds in the early 2000s.
Gomez was informed by Esteban German, another former MLB player, that he was at the nightclub with Blanco. German claimed that he had just gotten back to a table from the restroom when Blanco shoved him aside after noticing that the ceiling was crumbling.
Blanco passed away seconds after the ceiling collapsed, according to German. Blanco was forty-three.
Between 2002 and 2011, German played for the Kansas City Royals, Oakland A’s, and Texas Rangers in the major leagues. In 409 MLB games during his career, the former infielder batted.280.
As of Tuesday evening, search and rescue operations were still underway, raising the possibility that the incident’s death toll could increase.
