Tony Blanco, a former major leagues baseball player who played for the Washington Nationals, was credited with having saved a teammate before his death in a collapse of the roof of the Dominican Republic.
The former MLB player, Esteban Germán, told the MLB journalist, Héctor Gómez, whom he had just returned to the toilet and sat at their table when Blanco noticed that the ceiling had started to descend. Germán said Blanco had rejected him when the ceiling was about to fall on him.
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The Nationals of Washington Tony Blanco, n ° 28, during the spring formation in Viero, Florida, March 2, 2005. (Sporting News via Getty Images)
Unfortunately, Blanco died a few moments later.
Blanco, champion of the World Series Octavio Dotel and Nelsy Cruz, the sister of the former voltiseur des Étoiles de la Mlb Nelson Cruz, were one of the nearly 100 people who died when the roof collapsed at the Jet Set Club in Santo Domingo early on Tuesday morning.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred was one of those who paid tribute to those who were lost.
“Major League Baseball is deeply saddened by the passages of Octavio Dotel, Tony Blanco, Nelsy Cruz and all the victims of the tragedy last night in Santo Domingo,” he said. “We send our sincere condolences to the families and friends of all those who have been touched and to our colleague Nelson and to his whole family.
“The link between baseball and the Dominican Republic is deep, and we think of all Dominican players and fans through the game today.”
A police officer reacts during the search for survivors to the jet night box after his roof collapsed during a concert in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, Tuesday April 8, 2025. (AP photo / Ricardo Hernandez)
Victor Robles de Mariners fractures the shoulder after slamming in the wall when taking the fence
People meet outside the Jet Set nightclub after his roof collapsed during a Merengue concert in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP photo / Ricardo Hernandez)
The officials said that the number of deaths had increased to 98 when the rescuers were continuing their frantic research of survivors.
Juan Manuel Mendez, director of emergency operations, said the emergency staff on Tuesday evening is still spending the rubble.
“We are going to get people tirelessly,” said Mendez.
Jet Set is famous in the Dominican Republic for its parts on Monday where renowned artists occur. The singer of Merengue, Rubby Perez, performed when the roof collapsed and is among the missing.
“It happened so quickly. I managed to throw myself into a corner,” he said, adding that he was originally thinking that it was an earthquake, “said Perez manager Enrique Paulino.
Blanco, 43, played for the Nationals in 2005. He appeared in 56 games and had a home run. He spent most of his career in minor leagues or in Japan. His son, Tony Blanco Jr., is in the agricultural system of Pittsburgh Pirates.
The members of the Seattle Mariners are held for a moment of silence for Octavio Dotel, a former MLB player who died in a roof to collapse in a nightclub in the Dominican Republic, before a baseball match between the Mariners and the Astros de Houston on Tuesday April 8, 2025 in Seattle. (Photo / Lindsey Wasson)
Dotel, 51, played 15 years in the majors and won a world series with the Cardinals of St. Louis in 2011. He spent five of the 15 years with the Astros of Houston. He recovered 109 stops in his career with an MPM of 3.78.
