Former Dominican Major League player Rico Carty died in an Atlanta hospital, after suffering several weeks of health problems, the Dominican Professional Baseball League (Lidom) confirmed this Sunday.
The entity announced in its X account its “deep regret for the death of a great glory of our baseball, Rico Carty. Peace to his soul, legend.
The death of gardener Ricardo Adolfo Jacobo Carty, his full name, occurred on Saturday night.
Carty, 85 years old and a native of San Pedro de Macorís (east), was one of the most feared hitters in baseball in the Major Leagues in the 60s and 70s, thanks to his power and good knowledge of the hitting zone.
In his 15-year career in the Major League, the Dominican accumulated 1,677 hits in 5,606 at-bats for a batting average of .299, dispatching 204 home runs, 890 RBIs, 712 runs scored and a .369 on-base percentage.
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His best years in American professional baseball were played with the Milwaukee Braves, who later moved to the city of Atlanta.
Carty was the first Dominican to win a major league batting title, hitting .366 for the Braves in 1970.
In addition to this team, he played for the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians and finished his career with the Toronto Blue Jays.
«We deeply regret the death of Rico Carty, a legend of Dominican baseball and the Major Leagues. His departure leaves an irreparable void in Dominican sports. Our condolences to their families and loved ones at this difficult time,” the Dominican Sports Minister, Kelvin Cruz, wrote on his X account.
Carty’s major league career was marred by serious injuries.
In Dominican professional baseball he played for the Estrellas Orientales, Tigres del Licey, Leones del Esgido and Águilas Cibaeñas.
EFE
