Diablos pitcher dies in wreck in Florida

ABC7 (El Paso) Oct 15, 2009
By Annette Arrigucci, Producer

EL PASO, Texas

El Paso Diablos pitcher Max Limonick died on
Oct. 2 after the car he was a passenger in was
struck by a truck in Clearwater, Fla., Diablos
officials announced Thursday.

The car was stopped at red light at an intersection when it was struck from behind. Limonick was riding in the back seat. Firefighters extricated Limonick from the car, and Limonick suffered severe injuries, team officials said.

Diablos spokeswoman Adriana Ruiz confirmed
that authorities in Clearwater are investigating the crash as a DUI case, though no formal charges have been filed.

Limonick, 23, joined the Diablos on Aug. 21 and pitched in two games. Limonick was from
Montecito, California, and was in his first season of professional baseball, according to the American Association Web site.

"Well, it's a real tragedy, you know, any time
a young life is taken by a, you know, sensless act in terms of somebody drinking and driving, it's just a usless waste of a fine individual," Diablos General Manger Butch Henry told ABC-7.

Though Limonick was with the Diablos only a short time, Henry said Limonick was a "fine young man" who helped the team when they needed to raise the level of pitching at the end of the season.

"He was a good kid, he worked hard, never had
any problems with him, and he wanted the baseball, which is eventually what you want in a pitcher, you want a kid that wants to go out and pitch," Henry said.

The Diablos will retire Limonick's number at the beginning of next season. For more information on how you can help the Limonick family, contact Matt LaBranche at 915-755-2000.