Ex-Royals pitcher dies after roof collapse at Dominican Republic nightclub
A former Royals pitcher was among the more than three dozen people who died following a roof collapse at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic.
CNN reported the roof of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo collapsed in the early morning hours on Tuesday, killing at least 44 people. That story said at least 300 more people had been inside the club at the time and 146 people were pulled from the venue.
Octavio Dotel, who pitched for the Royals in 2007, was one of eight people who initially had been pulled from the debris, the New York Post reported. But Héctor Gómez, a baseball reporter in the Dominican Republic, said on X that Dotel died while being transported to a hospital.
“We join the baseball community in mourning the passing of Octavio Dotel,” the Royals said in a statement posted on social media. “We send our condolences to Octavio’s family and loved ones.”
Dotel, 51, had a 3.91 ERA and 11 saves for the Royals before he was dealt to the Atlanta Braves for Kyle Davies ahead of the 2007 Major League Baseball trade deadline. Hours before the trade, Dotel told The Star that he would have been content staying in Kansas City.
“That would be fine with me,” Dotel said. “I like it here. There’s nothing not to like about the team or the city.”
Dotel never returned to Kansas City, but he pitched for 15 seasons in the majors and helped the St. Louis Cardinals win the 2011 World Series.
The CNN story said Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the Monte Cristi province, was among the dead, according to Dominican President Luis Abinader. Cruz was related to Rangers/Mariners/Twins star Nelson Cruz, according to a statement from his family.
“We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub,” Abinader wrote in an X post. “We have been following the incident minute by minute since it occurred. All relief agencies have provided the necessary assistance and are working tirelessly in the rescue efforts. Our prayers are with the affected families.”
This story was originally published April 8, 2025 at 12:37 PM.
