Astros prospect Jose Rosario killed in motorcycle crash
After a positive event like Houston Astros' Fan Fest this weekend, Astros nation was rocked on Monday when one of the promising young Astros prospects was killed in a motorcycle accident in his home country of the Dominican Republic. The accident occurred last night as Jose Rosario was riding his motorcycle, how it happens shouldn't matter. But it brings up the Jeff Kent scenario where he said he injured his hand in a car wash, but people suspected it was from a motorcycle accident. Baseball teams have tried to discourage players from riding motorcycles, but you can't monitor them all the time.
The 6'6" 20-year-old pitcher Rosario, who signed with the Astros in 2013, unfortunately, had a more serious accident than Mr. Kent did. Usually, I try to insert a little humor into my writing, but this is no time or place for that. Our prayers have to go out to the family, friends, and teammates of Rosario, as he was taken away too soon.
This country has also seen recent tragedy as well with the death of St. Louis Cardinals star Oscar Taveras following playoff elimination in 2014. While Astros fans may not have been given a chance to see Rosario play like the Cardinals fans saw Taveras played, this will be felt across the lower minor league levels for the Astros. Rosario pitched in 34 games, unfortunately pitching his final game for the Gulf Coast League Astros August 28, 2015. All the players and fans he has played with are suffering a great loss right now.
Sad news out of the DR. @brianmctaggart has the story on the passing of minor league prospect Jose Rosario. pic.twitter.com/pmiookiJ6A
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) January 25, 2016
Jeff Luhnow issued a statement; this comes from Danny Wild's MiLB article.
"It is with a heavy heart that we inform the Astros community of the passing of Minor League pitcher Jose Rosario, who died last night in his native Dominican Republic," Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said in a statement. "Our thoughts go out to Jose's family, friends, and many teammates."- Luhnow via Danny Wild of MiLB.com.
During this sad time, we have to remember that these players are not robots, they face the same daily challenges we do. He will be missed throughout the Astros organization, and here is a quote from Astros international director Oz Ocampo describing Rosario.
"Jose was a beloved member of the Astros' Latin American program," Ocampo said. "He will be remembered as a long, lanky-framed pitcher with tremendous ability, an outgoing personality, and an ever-positive disposition. He was a true student of the game and was constantly looking to learn and improve his abilities."- Ocampo via Danny Wild of MiLB.com.
I could give you his stats, but instead, I will tell you that he pitched in the rotation and out of the bullpen. What more can we say, my prayers go out to anyone who has crossed paths with Rosario. To anyone that rides a motorcycle, please drive carefully, life is so precious.
