Former Pirate Jose DeLeon Dies At 63

February 27, 2024 4:43 am

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 from 1983-95.  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 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.