Jesus Alou, Youngest of the Legendary Alou Brothers, Dies at 80

As the World Baseball Classic pits countries around the world in a World Cup-style international tournament finally gets underway, the baseball world is now also in mourning for the passing of MLB great Jesus Alou. He was 80.

According to ESPN, the legendary outfielder from the Dominican Republic would have celebrated his 81st birthday on March 24. However, he had been battling several health problems, including suffering "cardiovascular accidents" in recent times. However, it was noted that he did not suffer any "serious illness" recently.

Who Is Jesus Alou and How He Trailblazed in the MLB?

The Dominican had been instrumental in the growth of baseball in the Dominican Republic, where it is now the most popular sport in the country.

He broke barriers in the MLB with his brothers, Felipe and Matty, and brought national pride to his country. His family has since produced several MLB players, including Moises, José Sosa, Luis Rojas, and Mel Rojas. They would pave the way for other Dominican players, most notably "Big Papi" himself, David Ortiz.

The Alou brothers would also make MLB history when they played for the same team at one time, the San Francisco Giants, with all three playing the outfield.

In his career, Jesus Alou played for the Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics, and New York Mets, as well as a brief stint with the Montreal Expos. However, as CBS Sports pointed out, he had his biggest success with Oakland, winning two World Series titles with the A's in 1973 and 1974.

Jesus Alou hit .280/.305/.353 (86 OPS+) with 32 home runs and 31 steals in 1,380 contests in his long and illustrious career. He played actively from 1963 to 1979.

Following his retirement, Alou worked for various MLB teams behind the scenes, eventually working for the Boston Red Sox as their director of Dominican operations. He was also honored with the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame Pioneer Award in 2008, according to MSN.

Baseball World Reacts to Jesus Alou's Passing

Following his passing, the Boston Red Sox released a tribute to their former Dominican Operations director, touting him in his role as a player, scout, coach, and ambassador for the game of baseball:

Sports Writer Hector Gomez also posted a tribute to the late baseball legend, as well as his two brothers, on social media:

Fans also weighed in and also posted their tributes to the Dominican Republic legend on Twitter:

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Baseball Legends of the Game Ep2 The Alou Family - Felipe, Matty, Jesus, Moises Alou, Luis Rojas - Brockzilla Productions