The following article was written by and published on Puerto Ricos’s ENDI.com. It was translated and edited for our readers to also enjoy.
His sudden passing prompted a wave of messages of grief and recognition from baseball experts and organizations such as Major League Baseball (MLB), who highlighted his humility, leadership, and legacy as a mentor.
According to a Puerto Rico Police report, the 81-year-old Sandy (Santos) Alomar Sr., a former MLB player and father of fellow baseball players Roberto Alomar and Sandy Alomar Jr. suffered a health problem that caused his sudden death while away from his home. Dr. Pedro Ortiz Lara certified the death at the scene, and La Monserrate Funeral Home handled the corresponding procedures.
The funeral services will be held at El Roble Funeral Home in Salinas. At this time, no date has been set, as the arrival of family members in Puerto Rico is awaited.
Sandy Alomar Sr. with his sons, Roberto & Sandy with the Ponce uniform – Image Credit: José Rodríguez
“Santos was a great baseball player in Puerto Rico and in the Major Leagues,” Jorge Colón Delgado, official historian of the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (LBPRC), told El Nuevo Día.
“In fact, he’s one of two players who collected at least 1,000 hits here and 1,000 in the Major Leagues. The other is Juan José Beníquez,” added the author of books such as “Santurce Cangrejeros 1954-55: The Perfect Machine.”
Colón Delgado recalled that the veteran manager was recognized as Manager of the Year in three winter league seasons (1985-86, 1994-95, and 2000-01) and won a championship in the 2000-01 season with the Criollos de Caguas. He also highlighted his successful transition from player to mentor, excelling in both facets of baseball.
Sandy Alomar Sr., a baseball icon for all Latinos, passed away at the age of 81 on Monday – Image Credit: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
“Seeing Santos was like seeing our baseball in all its splendor and magnitude. And as a person, it’s even better. He was a very respectful man who carried with elegance what he represented for Puerto Rican baseball. He was a symbol of Puerto Rican baseball,” Colón Delgado emphasized.
Santos Alomar, born in Salinas on October 19, 1943, made his Major League debut in 1964 with the then Milwaukee Braves. He moved with that team to Atlanta and wore the uniforms of the New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, California Angels, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers.
After retiring as a player, he contributed to the sport as an MLB coach, where he worked with the Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, and San Diego Padres.
Sandy Alomar Jr. and Sandy Alomar Sr. during a pregame ceremony at Progressive Field – Image Credit: MLB
In 2003, he led the first National Team composed of professional baseball players in a competition endorsed by the international federation.
On par with other great legends
Jossie Alvarado, a friend of the Alomar family and author of several books on baseball, expressed similar sentiments.
“The world of baseball is hurting,” Alvarado declared solemnly.
“We have lost a figure who, in turn, was influenced by other greats such as Francisco ‘Pancho’ Coimbre, Luis Rodríguez Olmo, Orlando ‘Peruchín’ Cepeda, and Víctor Pellot… Players who, when Santos arrived at 16, helped him,” he said, reflecting on his legacy.
The author of the work “Puerto Rico in the Major Leagues” also highlighted Alomar’s deep sense of belonging to his beloved hometown of Salinas, where he was born and lived until his death this Monday.
“I would tell him: ‘Conde (his second surname), you have like 10 points in the town.’ You could run into him at the post office, and he would have a chat with the cashier or the security guard. If you went to the supermarket or to Martín’s hot dog cart in the plaza, if you went to the public square, to the bank… He would walk around the town every day,” Alvarado shared.
With his voice heavy with emotion, the journalist shared the last message he received from Santos Alomar this Monday morning, in which he—ironically—spoke about absence.
“Life is ironic. We need sadness to know what happiness is, and absence to appreciate presence,” Alvarado read with a lump in his throat.
For his part, the president of the LBPRC, Juan A. Flores Galarza, also spoke on the subject.
“Santos is the patriarch of a family that has left an indelible mark on our professional baseball. We will always remember his sportsmanship,” stated the executive, who noted that the former athlete was inducted into the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024.
Flores Galarza elaborated that Santos and Roberto are one of the father-son duos who won batting championships in the Puerto Rican league, along with Pedro “Perucho” Cepeda and his son Orlando “Peruchín” Cepeda.
There will be a minute of silence at the LBPRC.
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