Ex-Big Leaguer From CT Dies Suddenly At 48 [UPDATED]

BRIDGEPORT, CT — Angel Echevarria, a Bridgeport native who was a star baseball player at Bassick High School before embarking on a Major League Baseball playing and coaching career, died Friday at Bridgeport Hospital following a fall in his home in which he struck his head, according to multiple media reports.

Echevarria, 48, was a 1989 Bassick graduate who was drafted out of Rutgers University in the 17th round by the Colorado Rockies in 1992. At Rutgers, he was a three-time Atlantic 10 All-Conference player and left as the program's career leader with 31 home runs and 145 runs batted in.

He made his Major League debut with the Rockies in 1996. He played six seasons with Colorado, the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs through 2002. In his MLB career, the outfielder-first baseman batted .280 with 21 homers and 90 RBIs in about 300 games. He also played two years of professional baseball in Japan.

After working for two years as the Brewers' hitting coach, Echevarria founded Simply Baseball in 2013. Operating out of The Factory (formerly The Batter's Box) in Norwalk, Simply Baseball provides individual and group instruction to youngsters, as well as professional coaching clinics.

As a part of the Major League Baseball Alumni Association, Echevarria also frequently participated in free clinics alongside other former big league stars such as Jim Bouton, Graig Nettles and Dave Fleming.

MLB Network analyst Preston Wilson memorialized Echevarria on Twitter: "Angel. A kind soul, a friend, a man who loved his family. Today things feel a little darker, colder and emptier. Thank you for sharing your time, smiles and kindness."

Jazmine Cox, Echevarria's partner for the past five years, has established a GoFundMe account to finance all funeral and burial expenses. Any remaining funds will be immediately transferred to his sons, Angel Echevarria Jr. and Aurie Echevarria.

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