Former Major League Baseball Pitcher Octavio Dotel passed away on April 8, 2025. Dotel was one of more than 100 people killed when the roof of Jet Set nightclub in the Dominican Republic collapsed Tuesday. Dotel was rescued alive from the rubble of the collapse, however, he later succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital.
The roof of the nightclub collapsed around 1 a.m. local time. It is estimated at least 300 people were inside enjoying a performance from merengue artist Rubby Perez when tragedy struck. The Dominican Republic’s National Emergency System announced on Tuesday that more than 200 nightclub patrons were injured in the incident.
Friends and Family Mourn the Pitcher
Dotel spent time with 13 teams in his Major League career, but the majority was with the Houston Astros organization. Former Astros bullpen mate Brad Lidge remembered Dotel:
“Honestly, I think he was a completely unique teammate, I can say, from anyone I never had in any bullpen, he kind of lived and he kind of played baseball like he was a kid that was joyous just to be playing, which is how we should all play but is not the reality of it. Major League Baseball is very stressful, especially if you’re a bullpen pitcher, but he seemed to not feel that stress. He seemed to be playing with house money his whole career.”
After baseball, Dotel ran an education academy, Colegio Sabiduria y Baluarte. The academy released a statement mentioning that Dotel left “an indelible mark on all of us who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside him.”
Dotel’s 15-year MLB Career
Nicknamed “The Pitcher That Every Team Wants” he played for 13 different Major League Baseball Teams over his career. He made his Major League debut in the 1999 season with the New York Mets. The righthander would go on to pitch for the Oakland Athletics, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees.
Dotel won a World Series with St. Louis in 2011 and was a member of the Dominican Republic team that won the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He retired in 2013 with Detroit with career numbers of 1,143 strikeouts in 951 innings and a lifetime 3.78 ERA. The 6-foot 230-pound pitcher had 109 career saves and a 59-50 record.
Final Thoughts
Dotel was an impressive major league pitcher who will be remembered as much for his on and off-field exploits. The cause of the Jet Set nightclub’s roof collapse is still being investigated. It is always awful when someone is taken early is such a senseless tragedy. Thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims and their friends and family.
