Pedro Gomez obit

Remembering ESPN SportsCenter reporter Pedro Gomez

 

He was not on the list.

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:

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:

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

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