The baseball world is mourning the loss of 2007 World Series champion Julio Lugo, who passed away on Monday at the age of 45. Lugo's family told ESPN's Enrique Rojas about the ballplayer's passing, with an apparent heart attack the cause of his demise.
Julio Lugo's family told me of the death of the former MLB player, presumably due to a heart attack.
— Enrique Rojas/ESPN (@Enrique_Rojas1) November 15, 2021
Lugo was 45 years old.#RIP
Lugo's former team, the Boston Red Sox, announced his death on Monday via social media platform Twitter. The Red Sox posted a message, saying that they mourn the loss of their former shortstop. They also offered their thoughts and love to the Lugo family.
Lugo excelled in 12-year MLB career
Lugo had an accomplished 12-year career in the majors, with the Dominican-born shortstop playing for seven teams during that span. The Barahona native was drafted by the Houston Astros in 2000 before embarking on stints with the Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, and the Baltimore Orioles.
He batted .269 with a .716 OPS in 1,352 career games in the big leagues. Lugo also recorded 80 home runs, 198 stolen bases, 1,279 hits, 238 doubles, 34 triples, 475 RBIs, 688 runs, and a 13.5 WAR.
Lugo made a name for himself in the 2007 season when he won the World Series with the Boston Red Sox. Lugo, who was Boston's everyday shortstop during that season, played a huge role in the Red Sox's World Series win. He went 5 for 13 (.385) with a double, an RBI, two runs scored, and three walks in the four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies in the Fall Classic.
Related Article: Atlanta Braves Crush Houston Astros in Game 6 to Win First World Series Title Since 1995
Tributes pour in for Julio Lugo
The news of Lugo's death was shocking as he passed away just one day before what would have been his 46th birthday. The Tampa Bay Rays paid tribute to their former player in a tweet, saying that they are saddened to hear the passing of their former shortstop. The Rays added that their thoughts are with Lugo's family and friends during this difficult time.
We are saddened to hear of the passing of former Devil Rays shortstop Julio Lugo. Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/7EiQkxTe9T
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) November 15, 2021
Baseball players Josh Reddick and Will Middlebrooks also took to social media to pay tribute to their fallen teammate. Reddick said that Lugo helped him with his routine early on in his career. Reddick said that Lugo also advised him to stick to his routine regardless of the outcome.
RIP Julio Lugo. He helped me early on in my career with my routine and to stick to it regardless of outcome
— Josh Reddick (@JRedDubDeuce) November 15, 2021
Middlebrooks reminisced about his past interaction with Lugo in the 2008 season when he was in spring training getting ready for his first season with the Lowell Spinners. Lugo, who just won the World Series the previous year, spent some time with the young kids at Fort Myers during a rehab assignment. Lugo taught them a lot about infield routines and how to be a professional baseball player.
READ MORE ON SWN:
Indianapolis Colts vs Buffalo Bills Week 11 Predictions, Picks, Odds, and 2021 NFL Preview
Pats vs Falcons Week 11 Predictions, Picks, Odds, and Thursday Night Football Preview
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
