Sports
Marcos Carvajal, Ex-Rockies, Marlins Pitcher, Dies Of Pneumonia
Carvajal was 34 when he died. At the time, he was working as a youth coach in Venezuela's Bolivar state.
CIUDAD BOLIVAR, VENEZUELA — Marcos Carvajal, a former MLB pitcher who played for the Colorado Rockies and then-Florida Marlins, died of pneumonia in his home country of Venezuela. He was 34.
Carvajal pitched for the Rockies in 2005, tossing 53 innings over 39 games for the team. The right-hander had a win-loss record of 0-2 that year and an earned run average, or ERA, of 5.09. Carvajal also pitched for the Marlins two seasons later, throwing 4 innings over three games for the team.
He later returned to Venezuela and played for a team in Ciudad Bolivar, his hometown. When he died, he was working as a youth coach in Bolivar state.
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Carvajal checked himself into a hospital last month with a respiratory sickness, Alejandro Castillejo, president of the state's baseball association, told The Associated Press. The ex-pitcher's family scrambled to find antibiotics that all but disappeared from shelves in the country, which is in the midst of a crushing economic crisis, Castillejo said.
Eventually, the drugs were sent from abroad and Carvajal returned to the home he shared with his siblings and grandparents. But his boss said he grew alarmed when Carvajal didn't return to work as expected after the Christmas holiday.
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"We were calling him but he wouldn't tell us what was happening," Castillejo said. "We assume he was depressed by the situation, his illness and especially the high cost of the medicine."
Carvajal was rushed to a hospital on Monday, suffering from a relapse. He died a day later, Castillejo said.
Oil-rich Venezuela has been mired by four-digit inflation and an economic contraction deeper than the one in the U.S. during the 1930s Great Depression.
This is sad and tragic. My prayers are with Marcos Carvajal’s family during this difficult time. https://t.co/D15G6HyH18
— Rick Scott (@FLGovScott) January 26, 2018
We need to help Venezuela! Former @Rockies Marcos Carvajal passed of pneumonia because lack of medication! https://t.co/gHAcISgpqu
— Ryan Spilborghs (@spillygoat19) January 28, 2018
Photo credit: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images