Ex- Bassick, MLB star Echevarria dies at 48
Angel Echevarria, the former Bassick High School baseball star who went on to play eight years in the major leagues, died Friday at Bridgeport Hospital. He was 48.
Echevarria, who ran his own business, Simply Baseball, out of The Factory in Norwalk, often gave free clinics to the youth of his native Bridgeport, where he was born in 1971 and still lived.
He was not feeling well this past week, and Friday fell and hit his head, according to his girlfriend of five years, Jazmine Cox. His cause of death was unknown according to Cox, who said Echevarria called her Friday after his fall in his Bridgeport home.
“He was caring and generous and loved working with children,” said Cox, who met Echevarria when the two worked at The Factory ( formerly The Batter’s Box) in Norwalk. “He was always doing free clin
ics. He loved Bridgeport. Everyone will say he had a kind word for everyone. He was so giving, so generous, so full of life. He always wanted to give back. He would always say he grew up here, that Bridgeport made him who he was, and he was not going to leave.
“He was loved by so many,” Cox said. “It’s overwhelming the number of people who have reached out. It’s a testament to who he was. He lived, he shared, everyone learned from him. And not just baseball. That is where he shined. He used to tell me, ‘ When I have a kid in the batting cages, I don’t want to teach them how to be a pro player, but how to be a great young man or young woman.’”
Echevarria, an outfielder and first baseman, played for the Colorado Rockies ( 1996- 2000), Milwaukee Brewers ( 2000- 01) and Chicago Cubs ( 2002) before spending two seasons playing in Japan. He batted .280 for his MLB career. His best season was 1999 when he batted .293 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs in 102 games. He also played for the Rockies Class AA affiliate New Haven Ravens in 1994- 95 at Yale Field, including its inaugural season, when his state roots made him a fan favorite. He ended his professional playing career with the Atlantic League’s Bridgeport Bluefish, playing 47 games in 2006.
In his senior season at Bassick High School he led the Lions to the No. 4 seed in the 1989 Class M baseball tournament. Bassick advanced to the state semifinals where it lost to eventual state champion Berlin 2- 1.
He attended Rutgers University and was selected by the Rockies in the 17th round of the 1992 MLB Draft.
Veronica Sandolo, owner of The Factory in Norwalk, a 100,000 square foot facility offering opportunities in 20 different sports, described Echevarria as much more than a baseball instructor at the facility.
“The Factory is unique place,” Sandolo said. “We all become family.”
Sandolo called Echevarria one of her “three Angels” during her time at The Factory, referring to fellow baseball instructors Angel Espada and Angel Salome.
“We lost one of our Angels,” Sandolo said. “It’s very sad. I can’t express how deeply, deeply hurt and moved we are at The Factory.”
Sandolo met Echevarria when he walked into her business about seven years ago. She said she is not a baseball person, so she did not recognize his name. But Sandolo said after a few meetings Echevarria won her over with his genuineness and straight- forward approach. The two became good friends in their time at work.
“He was an amazing human being,” said Sandolo, who added Echevarria was like a big brother to her three daughters Gianna, 18, Isabella, 16 and Raffaella, 15. “He was passionate about what he did, had a great mind, his soul was amazing. A real gentleman.”
She joked Echevarria, who she called “Big A” would make her laugh, often arriving at work on his trike with his workout suit, always coming into the break room to turn on Judge Judy and similar shows, eating his homeprepared meals while others were eating pizza or other takeout.
“He was always there for you, always helping the kids,” Sandolo said. “More than a baseball player, he was a great human being.”
Echevarria is survived by his mother, Mercedes Echevarria and brother Jose Echevarria.
He purchased a home for his mother in Puerto Rico while playing professional baseball.
Sandolo and Cox said Echevarria would spend most of November and December in Puerto Rico with his mother, many times taking her on cruises. When natural disasters struck Puerto Rico, he would work with The Factory to run fundraisers to help provide relief.
“He really was living his best life,” Cox said. “It’s a shame it was cut short. He had so much more to give.”