Pedro Gomez during the 2010 State Farm HR Derby at Angel Stadium of Anaheim (Scott Clarke/ESPN Images)
Dodger Stadium: Pedro Gomez during the 2009 World Baseball Classic
(Scott Clarke/ESPN Images)
Havana, 2016: Estadio Latinoamericano: Pedro Gomez and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred
(Scott Clarke/ESPN Images)
Pedro Gomez during the 2015 Gillette Home Run Derby in Cincinnati (Allen Kee / ESPN Images)
Pedro Gomez interviews Jose Reyes of the Dominican Republic during the 2013 WBC in San Francisco
(Scott Clarke/ESPN Images)
Studio F: (L-R) John Kruk, Karl Ravech, Buster Olney and Pedro Gomez on SportsCenter in 2013
(Joe Faraoni/ESPN Images)
Gomez during a Monday Night Baseball game at Yankee Stadium in 2012. (Allen Kee/ESPN Images)
In 2009 in Chicago, Gomez interviews Carlos Bocanegra during USMNT vs. Honduras (ESPN Images)Longtime ESPN SportsCenter reporter Pedro Gomez passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, Feb. 7. Gomez, who began with ESPN in 2003, was 58 years old.
“Pedro was far more than a media personality. He was a Dad, loving husband, loyal friend, coach and mentor,” the Gomez family said in a statement. “He was our everything and his kids’ biggest believer. He died unexpectedly at home this afternoon.”
“We are shocked and saddened to learn that our friend and colleague Pedro Gomez has passed away,” said Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content James Pitaro. “Pedro was an elite journalist at the highest level and his professional accomplishments are universally recognized. More importantly, Pedro was a kind, dear friend to us all. Our hearts are with Pedro’s family and all who love him at this extraordinarily difficult time.”
Pedro came to ESPN from the Arizona Republic where he had served as a sports columnist and national baseball writer since 1997.
He was deeply connected throughout Major League baseball having served as the Oakland Athletics beat writer for the Sacramento Bee from 1995-97 and at the San Jose Mercury News from 1990-1994. In between covering the A’s, Gomez served as a national baseball writer for the Miami Herald from 1994-95. Prior to that, he wrote for the San Diego Union, and the Miami News from 1988-90 and 1985-88, respectively.
Gomez once said his favorite event he covered for ESPN was Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series.
Gomez remembered: “After Steve Bartman’s attempt to catch the foul ball over Cubs left fielder Moises Alou, producer Jim Witalka and I were whisked from behind the Cubs dugout, where we were getting ready to do on-field interviews with the NL Champs for the first time since 1908, to the virtually the same spot behind the Marlins dugout, where we saw Josh Beckett racing back and forth from the clubhouse to the dugout while chugging beers and saying, ‘Rally Beers, Pedro.’ It was a memorable night at Chicago’s venerable Wrigley Field.”
More about Pedro:
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- Pedro and his son Rio were part of this Front Row Father’s Day tribute.
- Pedro took an emotional visit to Cuba five years, saying, “There’s a big piece of me that is here always,” Pedro said in this video.
Social media reaction:
More than an elite journalist, Pedro Gomez was a good and decent man, so proud of his family, and his heritage. His loss is a hammer blow to all who knew this life force. Send one up tonight for his family and friends.
— Bob Ley (@BobLeyESPN) February 8, 2021
Incredibly sad news. Loved his job, loved life. Always had a smile on his face. Deepest condolences to his family. https://t.co/Ty8kWmBCnR
— Dan Shulman (@DShulman_ESPN) February 8, 2021
https://twitter.com/PerezEd/status/1358613917904351235
A husband, father, friend and respected colleague. So, so sad. Pedro was able to laugh at himself and make others laugh. A story teller whose friendship was a gift. A great teammate. Thoughts to his wife and children. Just awful news. https://t.co/hUSHKjzmDN
— Karl Ravech (@karlravechespn) February 8, 2021
My gosh. Pedro was a wonderful man who always had a smile and a thoughtful word for another human. https://t.co/75HSIaV2T9
— Jason Benetti (@jasonbenetti) February 8, 2021
He was the absolute best of us. This is so crushing. Anyone who knew Pedro loved him. https://t.co/CZURZq6PPo
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 8, 2021
Pedro was so, so proud of Rio. We were talking about him Friday. How hard Rio worked and how good he’d gotten and how nasty his changeup had gotten. Pedro loved all his kids so much. He was just the best. https://t.co/F4KCSzFNIJ
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 8, 2021
This @pedrogomezESPN visit with SVP is a lasting window into his talent as a journalist and character as a man. https://t.co/gfa4Cwd5ih
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2021
Wait. No.
No no no no no no no no no.
No. https://t.co/NCfnSpYD1v— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) February 8, 2021
Our hearts go out to the Gomez family, including Pedro Gomez’s son, Rio, a pitcher in our minor league system. ❤️ https://t.co/BPqmJb4oB6
— Red Sox (@RedSox) February 8, 2021
I am so tired of losing so many good people. Just seeing the news about Pedro Gomez’s passing. Stunned. Pedro was the first @SportsCenter bureau reporter to reach out to me when I joined that team. Was a huge help when I started covering baseball, too. He was the best of us all.
— Coley Harvey (@ColeyHarvey) February 8, 2021
From dinners shared to stories swapped, kindness and goodness personified Pedro Gomez. We loved asking him about Rio because he always beamed with pride when talking about his son. Hermano.
— Adam Amin (@adamamin) February 8, 2021
Pedro Gomez was the very best of us.
— Don Van Natta Jr. (@DVNJr) February 8, 2021
https://twitter.com/Sedano/status/1358613466001510400
Life is more goddamn fragile than we ever truly realize. Pedro Gomez grew up in the same Miami neighborhood where I was born, Westchester (“Wechetter,” as we used to say). He was a Cuban-American who spoke Spanish as a first-language, became a prolific columnist …
— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) February 8, 2021
Oh man… this is awful. Wonderful person. RIP Pedro Gomez … so brutally sad to hear. https://t.co/YenftyJJng
— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) February 8, 2021
https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/1358611541248081920
— Michael Eaves (@michaeleaves) February 8, 2021
Heartbroken to hear this devastating news. Pedro was a wonderful person. He grew up in Miami and went to The U. I always loved talking baseball and our Hurricanes with him.
My thoughts & prayer are with his family and friends. He will be deeply missed. RIP. https://t.co/bBXMB1Nalz
— Alex Rodriguez (@AROD) February 8, 2021
https://twitter.com/jessmendoza/status/1358650688314744832?s=21
We are shocked and saddened by the passing of national baseball reporter Pedro Gomez. He was 58. pic.twitter.com/FVlcocprIh
— MLB (@MLB) February 8, 2021
Nos unimos al mundo de béisbol en el dolor por la pérdida de Pedro Gómez, un reportero de ESPN bien reconocido y respetado por todos. #MLBCuba pic.twitter.com/MqOwV5w19B
— MLB Cuba (@mlbcuba) February 8, 2021
In Pedro Gomez, we lost a bridge-builder. The best of coming together and bringing people to one understanding with energy, perseverance, and humanity. He treated breaking news like it was a birthday present to hand to us at our surprise party. Heartbreaking. @espn #MLB
— Doug Glanville (@dougglanville) February 8, 2021
A tribute on @SportsCenter to our friend Pedro Gomez who we lost too soon yesterday. He was 58. Pedro left an indelible mark on so many people. #RIPPedro pic.twitter.com/kKYBxXClj2
— Matt Barrie (@MattBarrie) February 8, 2021
A story about Pedro Gomez: During the time he covered the Barry Bonds’ home-run chase, which only felt like forever, Pedro became a hero in my house. Our four sons were roughly between 10 and 16, and they loved the Giants in general and Bonds in particular.
— Tim Keown (@TimKeownESPN) February 8, 2021
1) For the 2nd time in three weeks, I'm breaking Twitter hiatus to tell a story of a great person we've lost. ESPN's Pedro Gomez: Sept. 18, 1993, I covered high schools for the Oakland Tribune, but the paper gave @JHickey3 a few days off, and sent 24-yo me to cover A's-CHW.
— Full Dissident (@hbryant42) February 8, 2021
https://twitter.com/miketrout/status/1358846936720179202?s=21
I am trying very hard to remember @PedroGomezESPN the wonderful way he was, instead of the horrible black hole left by his death. It's hard. We already miss him so much. pic.twitter.com/cGXdSk4jrz
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) February 8, 2021
