Jose Uribe, the former San Francisco Giants shortstop whose 10-year career paved the way for other Dominican Republic stars in major league baseball, died in a car crash in his homeland. He was 47.
Thousands of mourners filled the streets on Friday of his hometown of Juan Baron to bid farewell to Uribe, who died hours earlier when the sport utility vehicle he was driving crashed on a highway 50km west of Santo Domingo.
Sergeant Major Juan Quezada de los Santos of the National Police said Uribe lost control of his vehicle and flew off the road while driving home along a mountain highway in the nation's south.
PHOTO: AP
The ballplayer was thrown from the vehicle and died of his injuries at the scene, he said. The only passenger, a cousin named Julio Pena, was uninjured.
The first player from Juan Baron to make the major leagues, Uribe was beloved by his hometown, where he owned businesses and unsuccessfully ran for mayor earlier this year.
His 10-year baseball career, which included the Giants' 1989 World Series, paved the way for other locals like Minnesota's Francisco Liriano, St. Louis' Timoniel Perez and the Los Angeles Angels' Vladimir Guerrero.
Uribe's second cousin, shortstop Juan Uribe, plays for the Chicago White Sox.
Guerrero led a procession of more than 3,000 people from the Uribe family home to the town's baseball stadium, where Uribe's casket was displayed ceremonially on the field.
The Angel outfielder blasted music out of a van as the mourners continued on to the green concrete tomb where Uribe was laid to rest alongside relatives.
"The family is in a state of sorrow along with the people of Juan Baron ... this man never left behind his roots," said Alejandro Uribe, a nephew of the former ballplayer.
"I was very saddened to hear the news of Jose's passing this morning," Giants owner Peter Magowan said. "He meant so much to the Giants during his playing days. He was such an important part of the team's success in the late 1980s."
"When you saw Jose on the field, he exuded happiness and pure joy for the game and life. Personally, I was really looking forward to catching up with him this season during the 20th reunion of the 1987 NL West championship team. On behalf of the Giants family, I want to pass along our condolences," he said.
Pablo Peguero, a local baseball scout, also expressed his condolences: "He was a great player for the Giants, a serious man and dedicated to his family," he said.
While playing for the Giants, Uribe would return to his home country frequently and played in the country's winter baseball league. In recent years, he owned a hardware store and a restaurant named "El Shortstop."
FRUSTRATION: Alcaraz made several unforced errors over four sets against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, who had never made it past the third round in a major competition Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth round of the French Open after laboring past Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the Friday night session. The second-seeded Spaniard had never before played Dzumhur, a 33-year-old Bosnian who had never been past the third round at any major tournament. “I suffered quite a lot today,” Alcaraz said. “The first two sets was under control, then he started to play more deeply and more aggressively. It was really difficult for me.” Dzumhur hurt his left knee in a fall in the second round, and had treatment on Friday on his right leg during the
‘DREAM’: The 5-0 victory was PSG’s first Champions League title, and the biggest final win by any team in the 70-year history of the top-flight European competition Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time as Luis Enrique’s brilliant young side outclassed Inter on Saturday in the most one-sided final ever with teenager Desire Doue scoring twice in an astonishing 5-0 victory. Doue supplied the pass for Achraf Hakimi to give PSG an early lead and the 19-year-old went from provider to finisher as his deflected shot doubled the advantage in the 20th minute. Doue scored again just after the hour mark, ending any doubt about the outcome before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran away to get the fourth and substitute Senny Mayulu, another teenager, made it five. Inter were
The Greek basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos were suspended by the government on Monday following on-court scuffles involving rival security teams. The best-of-five series is at 1-1. The third game, scheduled for today, has been postponed. The owners of both clubs were summoned to meet with the country’s sports minister. They “will be asked to provide explicit guarantees that this situation will be brought to an end. If not, this year’s championship will be definitively canceled,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. “There can be no tolerance for such pathological phenomena of violence and delinquency.” In online posts, the owners of Panathinaikos and
Defender Steph Catley says her UEFA Women’s Champions League title win with Arsenal last week will act as motivation to secure continental glory with Australia when the country hosts the Women’s Asian Cup next year. Catley and compatriots Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross were part of the Arsenal squad that defeated Barcelona in Lisbon on Sunday last week, before flying to Melbourne to feature in the Matildas’ 2-0 win over Argentina on Friday. The game was the first in a two-match series against the South Americans as the Australians continue preparations for the continental championship in March next year, when they would
RSS