R.I.P. Octavio Dotel
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
“Just as Octavio’s death surprised us and surprised him, it will happen to us all.” – Massiel Dotel, widow of Octavio Dotel
Octavio Dotel was a former Major League pitcher who played for 13 different teams during his 15-year career, an MLB record. A starter as a rookie with the Mets in 1999 and the Astros in 2000, Dotel successfully transitioned to the bullpen the following year and became a reliable closer, saving as many as 36 games in a season. He also struck out 1,143 batters in just 951 innings during his career, a ratio that is the best in baseball history for right-handed pitchers with at least 900 innings pitched.
After retiring in 2013, Dotel returned home to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, where he lived with his wife and their five children. In August 2019, Dotel and former MLB second baseman Luis Castilla were arrested on charges related to a drug trafficking and money laundering operation. However, a judge cleared both men of the money laundering charges later that month, although Dotel still faced charges related to illegal possession of a gun when he and 230 others were killed on April 8, 2025, in a tragic nightclub accident. Another 189 people sustained injuries when the roof of the Jet Set nightclub collapsed during a live performance by merengue musician Rubby Perez.
At Dotel’s memorial service, Massiel Dotel urged those in attendance to “remember him as he would have liked to be remembered”, as someone who was “happy” and “gave a lot of love”. She then gave an impassioned plea for her fellow mourners to get right with God.
“I invite you to seek Christ. I invite you to know the Lord. He is the one who has control of the times and although we do not understand, I do not understand anything, I know that this was the perfect will of Christ and I accept it.”
Referring to her departed husband, Massiel said, “The same God that called you to his home, is the same God that fills me with strength to say, ‘See you soon,’ to the love of my life.”
That, my friends, is true faith in the midst of unspeakable tragedy. May we evidence similar faith when trials and sorrows come our way.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (BSB)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
