Former Player Angel Echevarria Passes Away
Former player Angel Echevarria has passed away in a Connecticut hospital on February 7th. Echevarria’s girlfriend Jazmine Cox told the CTPost that he was feeling sick with a stomach virus during that week. Echevarria fell and hit his head. The cause of his death is still unknown. Angel Echevarria was 48 years old.
Echevarria’s Career
Angel Echevarria played baseball at Bassick High School in Bridgeport Connecticut. Upon graduating in 1989 he was a star player heading to Rutgers University. The Colorado Rockies drafted Echevarria in the 17th round of the 1992 Major League Baseball draft.
Echevarria played for the Rockies for five seasons from 1996-2000. In July of 2000, the Rockies waived Echevarria and the Milwaukee Brewers claimed him. After the 2001 season, Echevarria became a free agent signing with the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs released him after the 2002 season. Echevarria never played in the Major Leagues again.
Echevarria’s Major League career lasted only seven seasons and 368 games. He batted .280 with 21 HR and 90 RBI with an OBP of .343. His 543 career at-bats are what most starting players get in a full season.
Post Career
After briefly playing in Japan, Echevarria returned home and started “Simply Baseball” out of The Factory in Norwalk. This was a baseball clinic for children in the Bridgeport area. Echevarria was born in Bridgeport and often gave free clinics to children.
Veronica Sandolo is the owner of The Factory which offers opportunities in 20 different sports. “The Factory is unique place,” Sandolo said. “We all become family.” “We lost one of our Angels. It’s very sad. I can’t express how deeply, deeply hurt and moved we are at The Factory.”
Echevarria also raised money for Puerto Rico after natural disasters where his mother lived. He bought a house for his mother in Puerto Rico where he would spend November and December every year.
Bridgeport Community
Cox released this statement to the CTPost:
“He was always doing free clinics. Everyone will say he had a kind word for everyone. He was so giving, so generous, so full of life. He always wanted to give back.”
Cox added, “He was loved by so many. It’s overwhelming the number of people who have reached out. It’s a testament to who he was. He lived, he shared, everyone learned from him. And not just baseball. That is where he shined. He used to tell me, ‘When I have a kid in the batting cages, I don’t want to teach them how to be a pro player, but how to be a great young man or young woman.’”
Echevarria is survived by his mother, Mercedes Echevarria and brother Jose Echevarria.
