Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - The Leones del Escogido honored the memory of Octavio Dotel, a celebrated pitcher for both the franchise and Major League Baseball, prior to Thursday’s game against the Tigres del Licey. Dotel passed away on April 8th.
The tribute included a video montage displayed on the giant screen at estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal,showcasing Dotel’s career with the Leones,in the MLB,and with his family. Dotel’s widow, Massiel Javier Almonte, threw out the ceremonial first pitch, caught by their son, Eduardo.
Dotel debuted in the Major Leagues on June 26, 1999, with the New York Mets and played for a total of 13 teams over 15 seasons (1999-2013), a figure ranking him among the players with the most MLB teams played for. He finished his MLB career with 59 wins, a 3.78 ERA, 109 saves, and 1,143 strikeouts in 951 innings pitched.
He first played with the Leones in 1997, posting a 6-1 record with a 2.31 ERA,1.19 WHIP, and 107 strikeouts in 101.1 innings. His best season with the team was 1998-99, where he went 5-0 with a 1.31 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 41.1 innings, earning Pitcher of the Year honors.
Dotel reached three championship finals with the Leones, winning the title in the 2012-2013 season.He was a 2011 World Series champion with the St. Louis Cardinals and a member of the Dominican team that won the 2013 World Baseball classic.
the Leones have honored Dotel throughout the current season by displaying his last name on their helmets. He was inducted into the Dominican Sports Hall of Fame in 2024.
In attendance at the tribute were Fernando Armenteros, Executive Vice President of the Leones; Kai Schoenhals, a member of the Board of Directors; general manager Carlos Peña; Erick Almonte, president of the national Federation of professional Baseball Players; and Leones legends Esteban Germán, Ramón Santiago, and Francisco Cordero, all close friends of Dotel.
