Jose DeLeon, a pitcher with 13 years of experience in Major League Baseball, has passed away at the age of 63.
José DeLeón, whom is a pitcher in the major leagues for 13 seasons and the strikeout leader in the National League for St. Louis Cardinals in 1989, has tragically passed away at the age of 63.
Jose DeLeón’s team in the Dominican Winter League, sadly announced that he passed away on Sunday evening at Cedimat hospital in Santo Domingo. The team said that DeLeón had serious health concerns without providing additional details to what they have said.
DeLeón compiled a record of 86 wins and 119 losses with a 3.76 ERA in 264 starts and 151 appearances throughout his career. He played for Pittsburgh (1983-86), the Chicago White Sox (1986-87, 1993-95), St. Louis (1988-92), Philadelphia (1992-93), and Montreal (1995). The right-hander recorded 1,594 strikeouts in 1,897 1/3 innings.
In 1989, he was said to lead the NL with 201 strikeouts and shared the NL lead with 19 losses in both 1985 and 1990.
He was Picked by the Pirates in the third round of the 1979 amateur draft, Jose DeLeón entered the major league game on July 23, 1983, pitching nine strikeouts over eight innings in a 5-2 victory against San Francisco serious team.
Concluding his rookie season, DeLeón achieved a 7-3 record with a 2.83 ERA in 15 starts and secured the seventh position in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. The award was ultimately claimed by Darryl Strawberry of the New York Mets later on.
In the month of July 1986, he was said to be traded to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Bobby Bonilla, who went on to earn four consecutive All-Star Game selections with Pittsburgh from 1988 to the year 1991.
Mau hhis soul rest in Perfect peace. Such a legend he was.