Former Mets pitcher dies in tragic Dominican Republic accident

Dotel, 51, was one of 58 reported fatalities at the Jet Set nightclub in his native Dominican Republic on Tuesday. Although he was originally reported to have been pulled from the rubble, Dotel was pronounced dead on the way to the hospital. The roof of the club collapsed in a structural failure during a musical concert by merengue artist Rubby Perez. The tragedy also took the life of Nelsy Cruz, the sister of former MLB slugger Nelson Cruz.

Dotel broke into the league with the New York Mets in 1999 as a 25-year-old after signing as an amateur free agent with the organization in 1993. He would play only one season in Queens before he was traded to the Houston Astros in a package that saw Mike Hampton and Derek Bell come over to the Mets.

Over his 15-year career, Dotel played for a long list of teams including the Mets, Astros, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals, and Detroit Tigers.

In 2011, Dotel was a member of the World Series-winning St. Louis Cardinals team after being traded from the Blue Jays midseason. During the 2011 postseason, Dotel would suit up in 12 games for the Cardinals, posting an ERA of 2.61, a WHIP of 0.67, and a 14:2 K:BB ratio.

In 2013, Dotel was a part of the Dominican Republic team that won the World Baseball Classic over Puerto Rico in the finals. At the time, Dotel was one of just a handful of players with a World Series ring and a World Baseball Championship on his resume.

At the age of 40, Dotel officially retired from MLB after playing in 758 career games. He finished his career with a record of 59-50 and 109 saves; his final stat line includes a 3.78 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 1,143 strikeouts over 951.0 innings.

The Mets paid tribute to Dotel with a moment of silence before their home game against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday.