Major League Baseball icon Rico Carty died at the age of 85 following a two-week hospitalization for intestinal problems.
Carty was transferred to an Atlanta hospital for the difficulties by his children, where he has remained since his admission.
Carty spent the most of the 1960s and 1970s in the Major League Baseball, and he is perhaps best recognized for his stint with the Braves.
From 1963 until 1972, he played for the club in Milwaukee and Atlanta, making his sole All-Star appearance in 1970.
Carty led the MLB in hitting average (.366) that season and began in the National League’s All-Star outfield alongside Willie Mays and Hank Aaron.
The Braves confirmed Carty’s passing on Sunday morning.
‘Few players in franchise history have connected with Braves fans like Rico Carty,’ a team statement said. “A fan favorite almost immediately after the club arrived in Atlanta from Milwaukee in 1966, Rico left an indelible mark on the Braves organization.”
Carty is regarded as one of the pioneers of baseball players who made the transition from the Dominican Republic to the Major Leagues.
The MLB also released a statement following Carty’s death.
‘We are grieved by the death of Rico Carty, a 15-year MLB veteran. Carty spent eight of his 15 seasons with the Braves. Carty won the National League hitting title in 1970 with a.366 average. It remains the highest mark in Braves modern-era team history. Carty’s popularity was so high that he was selected as a write-in candidate for the 1970 All-Star Game, joining Hank Aaron and Willie Mays in the starting outfield.
After leaving the Braves, Carty became the Texas Rangers’ first starting designated hitter.
During the 1973 season, he was traded twice, the first time to the Cubs, where he had a major locker-room quarrel with star Ron Santo, prompting Chicago to transfer him to Oakland.
Carty played in the Dominican Republic’s winter leagues in addition to his tenure in the MLB.
His hitting skills earned him another chance in America in 1974, with Cleveland, where he lasted for four seasons.
Carty retired at the age of 40, following two stints with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Carty died two months after the death of Osvaldo Virgil, the first Dominican player to join an MLB team.
