Commissioner's Statement

Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. issued the following statement today regarding the passings of longtime Major League pitcher Octavio Dotel, fellow former Major Leaguer Tony Blanco, and Nelsy Cruz, the Governor of the Dominican Republic’s Monte Cristi province and the sister of longtime Major League player and current MLB Special Advisor to Baseball Operations Nelson Cruz, in Tuesday morning’s tragedy in Santo Domingo:

“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. 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. 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.”