Former MLB Player From Connecticut, Angel Echevarria, Dead at 48

Angel Echevarria, who played his High School baseball in Connecticut at Bassick High School, and spent some serious time in the major leagues, died on Friday (February 7) at Bridgeport Hospital.

After not feeling well last week, Echevarria fell and hit his head on Friday and died later in the day after being taken to Bridgeport Hospital. According to newstimes.com, his girlfriend Jazmine Cox, did not know the exact cause of death at this time.

After leading the Bassick High School Lions to the Class M State Tournament semi finals in his senior year, Echevarria attended Rutgers University and was chosen by the Colorado Rockies in the 17th round of the 1992 MLB draft.

As an outfielder and first baseman, he played for the Rockies from 1996 until 2000 before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. Then, in 2002, he joined the Chicago Cubs before heading to Japan for two seasons. He ended his professional baseball career in his home state of Connecticut, playing for the New Haven Ravens and the Bridgeport Bluefish.

Echevarria had a lifetime .280 MLB batting average, and his career year came in 1999, when he batted .293 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs.

He was currently running his own business, Simply Baseball, which he ran out of The Factory in Norwalk.

Echevarria is survived by his mother, Mercedes Echevarria, and brother, Jose Echevarria.

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