RIP to José Mota, a coach for 22 years in the Atlanta Braves farm system. He died suddenly on Nov. 6 in the Dominican Republic at the age of 53. As a player, he spent two years as a middle infielder in the Braves’ minor leagues in 1985-6. Most recently, he was a coach for the AAA Gwinnett Stripers in 2014 and 2016-8.
Mota, who was born in San Pedro de Macoris, first appeared with the Gulf Coast Braves in 1985. The 19-year-old played in 54 games, 44 at second base and the rest at shortstop, and hit .176. He upped his average to .222 the following season, but that was his final year as a player in organized baseball. He ended his playing days with a .203 batting average, with 65 hits, 39 runs scored and 18 RBIs.
Along with his four seasons as a Stripers coach, Mota also spent time coaching in Advanced-A Carolina (2015), Rookie-level Danville (2014) and Single-A Rome (2013), as well as several seasons with the Braves Dominican Summer League affiliate, the Stripers said in a statement.
Mota is survived by his wife, Alba, and four children.No further details of his death were immediately available.
“We offer our deepest condolences to José’s family and friends,” the team said.
(To clarify, he is not the same José Mota who played in the majors for the Pirates and Royals.)
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