Américo Ortiz, father of former baseball player David Ortiz, passes away

Santo Domingo.- This Thursday morning, Mr. Américo Ortiz, father of Dominican Hall of Fame member David Ortiz, passed away, sources close to the family confirmed in a message sent to the program "Esto No es Radio".

Ortiz's parent had been going through health complications lately. In the past Father's Day commemoration, the former baseball player wrote a moving message for Américo in which he wished: "May God give you the opportunity to get out of that bed with health, my old man." "You are one of the best things that has happened to me in my life and I truly don't think that on my best day as a father that I am I can surpass you because you out of nowhere did too much just to see your children grow and without fear of being wrong there are no ways to surpass you dad", added El Big Papi in his statement posted on Instagram.

No official details about the funeral acts have been offered yet.

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Américo Ortiz was a key figure in David Ortiz's personal and professional development. David's tobacco company "Américo Cigars", bears this name in his honor.