The baseball community is in mourning.
Former Major League Baseball player José DeLeón died Feb. 25, his former team in the Dominican Republic, Los Leones del Escogido, confirmed. He was 63.
The team—for which DeLeón played at different times throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s—noted in a statement on their website that he died after a battle with unnamed health issues.
The number he wore with Los Leones, 41, was retired by the franchise in his honor, and in 2011 he was inducted to the Dominican Republic’s Sports Hall of Fame.
In 1979, DeLeón joined the MLB when he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in the third round. He ultimately made his major league debut for the team four years later.
A few years later in 1989, DeLeón, then a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, led the National League in strikeouts. Throughout his 13-season career, he also played on the Chicago White Sox, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Montreal Expos. He finished his career in 1995 with a total of 1,594 strike outs in 415 appearances.
