Pedro Gomez, an ESPN reporter since 2003 and one of the country’s leading baseball journalists, died unexpectedly on Sunday. He was 58 years old.
Gomez, who lived in Phoenix, covered baseball for SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight and other ESPN studio programs, live events and radio. During his 35-year career, he covered more than 25 World Series and more than 20 All-Star Games.
“We are shocked and saddened to learn that our friend and colleague Pedro Gomez passed away,” said Jimmy Pitaro, President of ESPN and Sports Content. “Pedro was an elite journalist at the highest level and his professional achievements are universally recognized. Most importantly, Pedro was a kind and dear friend to all of us. Our hearts are with Pedro’s family and all who love him at this extraordinary time. difficult.”
Gomez leaves his wife, Sandra; sons, Rio and Dante; and daughter, Sierra.
“Pedro was much more than a media personality,” said his family in a statement. “He was a father, loving husband, loyal friend, trainer and mentor. He was our everything and the greatest believer of his children.”
Gomez’s son Rio is a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox organization.
The son of Cuban parents who went to Miami shortly before his birth, Gomez was part of the network’s coverage in 2016, when the Tampa Bay Rays faced the Cuban team in Havana. He returned his father’s and brother’s ashes to the family home on that trip. He also covered a 2008 US men’s soccer game in Havana for ESPN and an exhibition game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Cuban team in 1999.
In addition, he was a vital part of Barry Bonds’ network coverage from 2005 to 2007, including coverage of the Bond chase to break Henry Aaron’s 2007 home run record.
Gomez even made the move for an ESPN baseball game in 2014. He said his favorite event to cover was Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series, when Chicago fan Steve Bartman held out his hand and attempted to catch a missing ball over the Cubs, the outback defender Moises Alou in a playoff match against Miami Marlins, who scored eight runs in the inning and forced a game 7 in the series.
Prior to joining ESPN, Gomez wrote for Miami News, San Diego Union, San Jose Mercury News, Miami Herald and Sacramento Bee – specializing in baseball coverage – before becoming a national baseball columnist and writer in Arizona Republic in 1997.
Among the teams he covered as a pace writer were Rickey Henderson’s Oakland Athletics, Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, among others. Gomez once told journalist Jeff Pearlman that it was like “we were traveling with the [Rolling] Stones. “
He was an award-winning journalist, including a first-place award from the Arizona Associated Press Association of Administrative Editors for “Discovering the Home I Never Knew” about his 1999 trip to Cuba.
Gomez was born in Miami and studied at Miami-Dade Community College, where he met his passion for journalism, and at the University of Miami.