José DeLeón, MLB pitcher for 13 seasons, dies at age 63

By: The Associated Press Posted: 1:07 PM CST Monday, Feb. 26, 2024 Last Modified: 5:08 PM CST Monday, Feb. 26, 2024

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — José DeLeón, a major league pitcher for 13 seasons who led the National League in strikeouts for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1989, has died. He was 63.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*No charge for 4 weeks then price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — José DeLeón, a major league pitcher for 13 seasons who led the National League in strikeouts for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1989, has died. He was 63.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/02/2024 (622 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — José DeLeón, a major league pitcher for 13 seasons who led the National League in strikeouts for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1989, has died. He was 63.

Los Leones del Escogido, DeLeón’s team in the Dominican Winter League, said he died Sunday evening at Cedimat hospital in Santo Domingo. The team said DeLeón had health issues without giving further information.

DeLeón was 86-119 with a 3.76 ERA in 264 starts and 151 relief appearances for Pittsburgh (1983-86), the Chicago White Sox (1986-87, 1993-95), St. Louis (1988-92), Philadelphia (1992-93) and Montreal (1995). The right-hander struck out 1,594 in 1,897 1/3 innings.

FILE - St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher José DeLeón throws during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Montreal Expos, Sept. 6, 1988, in St. Louis, Mo. DeLeón, a major league pitcher for 13 seasons who led the National League in strikeouts for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1989, he died Sunday evening, Feb. 25, 2024, at a hospital in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He was 63. (AP Photo/Loen Algee, File)

He topped the NL with 201 strikeouts in 1989 and and tied for the NL lead with 19 losses in 1985 and 1990.

Selected by the Pirates in the third round of the 1979 amateur draft, DeLeón made his major league debut on July 23, 1983, striking out nine over eight innings in a 5-2 win over visiting San Francisco.

DeLeón finished 7-3 with a 2.83 ERA in 15 starts and was seventh in voting for NL Rookie of the Year, an award won by the New York Mets’ Darryl Strawberry.

DeLeón was traded to the Chicago White Sox in July 1986 for Bobby Bonilla, who earned four consecutive All-Star Game selections with Pittsburgh from 1988-1991.

DeLeón made his only postseason appearances in 1993, allowing one run over 4 2/3 innings in a pair of AL Championship Series relief appearances against Toronto.