Pascual Perez Killed; Ex-Pitcher Fatally Stabbed in Home Robbery

Former Atlanta Braves All-Star pitcher Pascual Perez was killed at his Dominican Republic home during a robbery.

The 55-year-old was fatally stabbed in the neck by robbers, according to Spanish-language newspaper reports on Thursday.

Robbers broke into his home in Haina, around 10 miles away from Dominican capital of Santo Domingo, where he lived alone.

Pascual's brother Melido claims that the attackers may be people that were close to the former pitcher. Local police continue to investigate Perez's home and search for those responsible.

On the previous day, Perez reportedly had received his pension payment from playing with Major League Baseball, according to a report by Dominican Today.

Perez played 11 MLB seasons and went 67-68 with a 3.44 ERA. He was an All-Star with the Braves in 1983 as well as pitched for the Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees.

Perez was infamous for missing a start while circling Interstate 285 in search of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium on Aug. 19, 1982 while he was playing for the Montreal Expos.

The flamboyant pitcher often was a source of annoyance to opposing batters for his wild celebrations on the mound. He was also a key player in a game between the Braves and Padres in 1984 that saw players attacking fans and numerous brawls.

Apart from his MLB experience, Perez also pitched 12 seasons in the Dominican winter league.

Two of his brothers, Melido and Carlos, also pitched in the major league, as well as his cousin, Yorkis.