Tony Blanco
- April 8, 2025
- 44 years
About Tony Blanco
*Tony Blanco, 44, baseball player (Chunichi Dragons, Yokohama DeNA BayStars, Orix Buffaloes)
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Full Biography
|Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera (November 10, 1981 – April 8, 2025) was a Dominican professional baseball player. He was mainly a first baseman, third baseman, and outfielder. Blanco played one season in the Major Leagues for the Washington Nationals but had more success playing in Japan for several teams. He died in April 2025 in the Jet Set nightclub roof collapse in Santo Domingo.
Playing career
Blanco signed with the Boston Red Sox as a 16-year old and began in the team's farm system as a third baseman. In December 2002, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds as a player to be named later, completing an earlier trade that sent Todd Walker to Boston. Injuries, including Tommy John surgery, slowed Blanco's climb through the minors, but by 2004, playing in High A Potomac and Double A Chattanooga, Blanco was showing enough promise to play for the World Team in the All-Star Futures Game in Houston.
Blanco was picked up by the Nationals as a Rule 5 Draft in the offseason and made the big league club's opening day roster in 2005. He collected his first MLB hit on April 8 and hit his only big league home run on May 22. Blanco only played sporadically and ended his first and only MLB season with a .177 average.
Blanco bounced around the Washington minor league system in 2006-07 and then landed with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers in the Colorado Rockies organization in 2008, batting .323 with 23 home runs and 88 RBIs.
After the 2008 season, Blanco played in the Dominican Winter League for the Estrellas Orientales. He then signed with Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. Blanco finished his first season in NPB with 39 home runs and 110 RBIs, both leading in Central League, along with a .275 batting average. He also received a Central League Performance Award for inter-league games (11 home runs and 24 RBIs) and won the home run derby before the all-star game, in which he played as the Central League first baseman.
Blanco played eight seasons in the NPB for Chunichi, Yokohama, and Orix, slugging 181 home runs and 542 RBI, including career highs of 41 and 136 for Yokohama in 2013. He retired after another brief stint in the Dominican League in 2017.
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Blanco with the Chunichi Dragons at Hanshin Koshien Stadium
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Blanco with the Orix Buffaloes at the Hanshin Naruohama Baseball Ground
Personal life and death
Blanco's son, Tony Blanco Jr., plays in the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system.
Blanco died on April 8, 2025, from injuries sustained in the Jet Set nightclub roof collapse in Santo Domingo. He was 44. Fellow Dominican baseball player Octavio Dotel was also killed in the incident. Blanco died saving his friend Esteban Germán.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Blanco
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Tony Blanco's archived record and the sources above.
1.On what date was Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera born?
- A.May 22, 1982
- B.April 8, 2025
- C.November 10, 1981correct
- D.December 15, 1980
Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera was born on November 10, 1981.
Source: biography header
2.Which professional baseball team originally signed Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera as a 16-year-old?
- A.Cincinnati Reds
- B.Washington Nationals
- C.Boston Red Soxcorrect
- D.Chunichi Dragons
Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera signed with the Boston Red Sox as a 16-year-old.
Source: playing career section
3.Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in December 2002 to complete a trade involving which player?
- A.Octavio Dotel
- B.Esteban Germán
- C.Tony Blanco Jr.
- D.Todd Walkercorrect
In December 2002, Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, completing a trade that sent Todd Walker to Boston.
Source: playing career section
4.In 2004, Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera played for which team in the All-Star Futures Game in Houston?
- A.American League Team
- B.World Teamcorrect
- C.National League Team
- D.United States Team
By 2004, Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera showed enough promise to play for the World Team in the All-Star Futures Game in Houston.
Source: playing career section
5.During which year did Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera play his only season in Major League Baseball?
- A.2008
- B.2004
- C.2013
- D.2005correct
Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera was picked up by the Nationals in the offseason and made the big league club's opening day roster in 2005.
Source: playing career section
6.What was the batting average of Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera at the end of his MLB season?
- A..177correct
- B..275
- C..323
- D..215
Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera only played sporadically and ended his first and only MLB season with a .177 average.
Source: playing career section
7.Which minor league team did Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera play for in 2008 while in the Colorado Rockies organization?
- A.Potomac Cannons
- B.Tulsa Drillerscorrect
- C.Chattanooga Lookouts
- D.Estrellas Orientales
In 2008, Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera landed with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers in the Colorado Rockies organization.
Source: playing career section
8.In his first season with the Chunichi Dragons, how many home runs did Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera hit?
- A.39correct
- B.181
- C.23
- D.41
Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera finished his first season in NPB with 39 home runs.
Source: playing career section
9.For which team did Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera achieve his career highs of 41 home runs and 136 RBIs in 2013?
- A.Yokohama DeNA BayStarscorrect
- B.Chunichi Dragons
- C.Orix Buffaloes
- D.Washington Nationals
Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera slugged career highs of 41 home runs and 136 RBIs for Yokohama in 2013.
Source: playing career section
10.When did Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera officially retire from professional baseball?
- A.2017correct
- B.2025
- C.2013
- D.2008
Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera retired after another brief stint in the Dominican League in 2017.
Source: playing career section
11.What is the name of the son of Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera who plays in the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system?
- A.Esteban Blanco
- B.Octavio Blanco
- C.Tony Cabrera
- D.Tony Blanco Jr.correct
Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera's son, Tony Blanco Jr., plays in the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system.
Source: personal life and death section
12.What was the cause of death for Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera in 2025?
- A.A heart attack in Santo Domingo
- B.An automobile accident
- C.The Jet Set nightclub roof collapsecorrect
- D.A tragic fire in a nightclub
Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera died from injuries sustained in the Jet Set nightclub roof collapse in Santo Domingo.
Source: personal life and death section
13.In what city did the incident resulting in the death of Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera occur?
- A.Washington
- B.Houston
- C.Tokyo
- D.Santo Domingocorrect
Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera died from injuries sustained in Santo Domingo.
Source: personal life and death section
14.Which other baseball player died in the same incident as Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera?
- A.Octavio Dotelcorrect
- B.Esteban Germán
- C.Tony Blanco Jr.
- D.Todd Walker
Fellow Dominican baseball player Octavio Dotel was also killed in the incident.
Source: personal life and death section
15.Whom was Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera attempting to save when he died?
- A.Todd Walker
- B.Octavio Dotel
- C.Esteban Germáncorrect
- D.Tony Blanco Jr.
Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera died saving his friend Esteban Germán.
Source: personal life and death section
16.How old was Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera when he passed away?
- A.46
- B.41
- C.39
- D.44correct
Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera was 44 years old at the time of his death.
Source: biography header
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