The St. Louis Cardinals community was devastated by the tragic news of former reliever and World Series champion Octavio Dotel’s death following a nightclub accident, despite earlier reports that he was in stable condition.
The heartbreaking incident occurred during a performance by merengue singer Rubby Perez at the Jet Set Nightclub in the Dominican Republic on Monday night. Early Tuesday morning, the nightclub’s roof collapsed, trapping dozens of people under debris. Patrons fled as concrete chunks fell from above, and rescue operations began. Tragically, 15 people have been confirmed dead, and more than 100 others were hospitalized, with many still trapped under the wreckage. Emergency Management Operations Director Juan Manuel Mendez confirmed that 101 people were transported by ambulance to local hospitals.
Dotel, who was at the nightclub watching Perez perform, was rescued from the rubble and initially reported as being stable. However, later reports confirmed that he had passed away at the hospital. Dotel, 51, was a 15-year MLB veteran and played for the St. Louis Cardinals during their 2011 World Series-winning season. Although his time with the team was brief, Dotel made a significant impact, appearing in 29 regular-season games after being traded from the Toronto Blue Jays. He posted a solid 3.28 ERA and 0.851 WHIP over 24.2 innings.
Dotel’s postseason performance was even more remarkable, as he contributed 10.1 innings with a 2.61 ERA, a .139 batting average against, and a 0.68 WHIP. At 37, Dotel played a crucial role in the Cardinals’ bullpen during their late-season playoff push and was an essential part of their championship run. His legacy in St. Louis and the baseball world will not be forgotten.
