Héctor Ortiz was a former Major League Baseball (MLB) catcher and a coach with the Texas Rangers.
- Died: February 28, 2024 (Who else died on February 28?)
- Details of death: Died in Phoenix of pancreatic cancer at the age of 54.
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Héctor Ortiz’s legacy
Born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, Ortiz was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988 after playing college ball at Paris Junior College and Ranger College, both in Texas. His MLB career was brief, spanning 93 games between 1998 and 2002, with most of his playing days spent in the minors. However, he proved to have strong skills as a coach and joined the Texas Rangers in that capacity in 2005.
Ortiz was a hitting coach in their minor league organization, then stepped up to manage the Hickory Crawdads in 2009. In 2011, he managed the Arizona Rangers, then became the organization’s minor league catching coordinator through 2014.
In 2015, Ortiz was moved up to a major league coaching position, serving as the Rangers’ bullpen coach, catching coordinator, and first base coach at various times. He later worked as part of the organization’s minor league player development staff. Ortiz battled pancreatic cancer over the last three years of his life.
Tributes to Héctor Ortiz
Full obituary: MLB.com
