Tragedy struck in the Dominican Republic early this morning when the roof of a nightclub in the capital city of Santo Domingo collapsed. As of this writing, 79 people have been killed with 160 additional people injured.
Among those killed in the incident were several prominent Dominicans - singer Rubby Perez (who was performing in concert), Nelsy Cruz, the Governor of the province of Monte Cristi (and sister of former MLB slugger Nelson Cruz) along with former MLB players Tony Blanco and Octavio Dotel.
Of the four, Dotel was the best known in this country. Blanco briefly played with the Washington Nationals in 2005 but spent the majority of his professional career in Japan. However, Dotel enjoyed a 15-year MLB career pitching for 13 different teams. For a time, this was a MLB record until pitcher Edwin Jackson surpassed it with 14 teams in 2019.
Dotel signed with the New York Mets as a 19-year-old in 1993 but would not make his big-league debut with the club until 1999 when he was used primarily as a starting pitcher. In 19 appearances (including 14 starts), Dotel went 8-3 with a 5.38 ERA striking out 85 batters in 85.1 innings pitched.
Following the 1999 season, the Mets dealt Dotel to the Houston Astros in the deal which brought pitcher Mike Hampton and outfielder Derek Bell to Queens. By 2001, Dotel was pitching exclusively in relief working as the setup man to future Hall of Famer Billy Wagner. In 2003, Dotel was one of six pitchers who combined on a no-hitter against the New York Yankees.
Houston would prove to be his longest big league stop pitching in an Astros uniform. Dotel pitched with the Astros through the middle of the 2004 season when he was traded to the Oakland Athletics in a three-team trade with the Kansas City Royals which brought Carlos Beltran to Houston. Dotel saved a career high 36 games combined with the Astros and the A's.
After 1½ seasons in Oakland, Dotel spent 2006 with the New York Yankees. He would split 2007 between the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves before spending two seasons with the Chicago White Sox. In 2010, Dotel pitched for three teams - Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies. In 2011, Dotel had a season for the birds pitching for both the Toronto Blue Jays and the St. Louis Cardinals. Among the players who went to the Cardinals along with Dotel was the aforementioned Edwin Jackson.
The trade proved fortuitous for Dotel as he would earn his lone World Series ring as the Cardinals bested the Texas Rangers in 7 games. Dotel would move onto his final big league stop in 2012 and 2013 with the Detroit Tigers. Dotel would pitch in his second straight World Series in 2012, but the Tigers would be swept by the San Francisco Giants. In 758 career games, Dotel went 59-50 with a 3.78 ERA recording 109 career saves. Dotel struck out 1143 batters in only 951 innings pitched.
In 2013, Dotel would end his professional career on a high note as he was part of another championship team as the Dominican Republic triumphed in the World Baseball Classic.
Dotel was only 51 when he was killed this morning with what should have been many more years to live. The same could be said of most of the others who lost their lives. R.I.P.
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