Major League Baseball legend Rico Carty has died at the age of 85 after a two-week hospital stay with intestinal complaints.
Due to the problems, Carty was taken by his children to a hospital in Atlanta, where he has remained since his admission.
Carty played in the MLB for most of the 1960s and 1970s and is perhaps best known for his time with the Braves.
He played for the franchise in Milwaukee and Atlanta from 1963 to 1972, with his only All-Star game appearance coming in 1970.
Carty was the MLB batting average leader that season with .366 and started for the National League in the All-Star outfield along with Willie Mays and Hank Aaron.
The Braves confirmed Carty’s death on Sunday morning.
Baseball legend Rico Carty has died at the age of 85 after suffering from intestinal complaints for two weeks
Carty was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame last year and played for the team for ten years
“Few players in franchise history are as connected to Braves fans as Rico Carty,” a team statement read. “Rico became a fan favorite almost immediately after the club arrived in Atlanta from Milwaukee in 1966 and left an indelible mark on the Braves organization.”
Carty is considered one of the forefathers of baseball players who made the leap from the Dominican Republic to the Major Leagues.
The MLB also released a statement regarding Carty’s passing.
“We are saddened by the passing of 15-year MLB veteran Rico Carty. Carty spent 8 of his 15 years with the Braves. In his memorable 1970 season, Carty hit .366 and won the NL batting crown. It is still the highest mark in modern Braves franchise history. Such was his popularity that Carty earned a nod to the 1970 All-Star Game as a write-in candidate, joining Hank Aaron and Willie Mays in the starting outfield.”
After transferring from the Braves, Carty was the first starting design hitter for the Texas Rangers.
He was traded twice during the 1973 season, first to the Cubs, where he had locker room disagreements with star Ron Santo that boiled over when Chicago dealt him to Oakland.
Carty played in the winter leagues in the Dominican Republic to complement his time in the MLB.
His hitting skills gave him another chance in America with Cleveland in 1974, where he stayed for four seasons.
Carty retired at the age of 40 after two stints with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Carty’s death comes two months after the death of Osvaldo Virgil, the first Dominican player to make an MLB roster.