“Pedro was an elite journalist at the highest level and his professional achievements are widely recognized,” said Pitaro. “More importantly, Pedro was a nice, dear friend to all of us.”
Gomez, a son of Cuban refugees, joined ESPN in 2003 from the Arizona Republic, where he was a sports columnist and national baseball writer for about six years, the network said in a press release Sunday.
Prior to that, he had also written for the Sacramento Bee, the San Jose Mercury News, the Miami Herald, the San Diego Union and the Miami News.
Best known for covering Major League Baseball, Gomez played more than 25 World Series and 22 All-Star Games during his career, ESPN said.
He is survived by his wife Sandra, as well as his two sons, Rio and Dante, and daughter, Sierra, according to the network.
“Pedro was much more than a media personality. He was a father, loving husband, loyal friend, coach and mentor,” Gomez’s family said in a statement published by ESPN Front Row. “He was our everything and the greatest believer of his children.”
The family added that Gomez died at home.
After news of his passing, tributes flooded social media highlighting not only his professional excellence, but also his kind spirit and radiant personality.
“Pedro Gomez was one of the nicest and warmest people I’ve ever met during my time at ESPN,” wrote journalist Jemele Hill. on Twitter. “This is just plain cheeky.”
The Boston Red Sox tweeted their “hearts go out to the Gomez family, including Pedro Gomez’s son, Rio, a pitcher in our minor league system.”
“Pedro Gomez was one of the nicest and most genuine people you have ever met in our game,” said Alex Wood, a pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. wrote. “We were all better off knowing him personally and professionally. My deepest condolences to his family. What a terrible loss to our baseball community.”
