Preston Gomez critically injured in accident
BASEBALL
The 84-year-old Angels special assistant to the GM was hit by a pickup truck at a gas station in Blythe.
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Preston Gomez, the beloved, 84-year-old special assistant to the Angels general manager, is in critical condition at a Palm Springs hospital this morning after being hit by a pick-up truck at a gas station in Blythe.
Gomez, on his way home from spring training, had stopped at a Chevron station at about 6 a.m. this morning and told his wife he was going to take a walk to stretch his legs.
According to Detective Sgt. Jeff Wade of the Blythe Police Department, Gomez "went around the pumps into the next aisle and right in front of a large pick-up truck that was driving up to re-fuel."
Gomez, Wade said, "suffered pretty major head injuries" and is believed to have suffered internal bleeding. He was taken to a local hospital, stabilized, and then air-lifted to the Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs at about 10 a.m.
The driver of the pick-up truck was field-tested for sobriety, and no alcohol was detected, Wade said. Nor were there any signs of drugs or alcohol. No charges are expected to be filed.
"It was just a freak and unfortunate accident," Wade said. "The [driver of the truck] was crushed. He was holding Mr. Gomez's hand while waiting for paramedics to arrive."
Gomez has spent 64 years in professional baseball, as a player, coach, manager, talent scout and consultant. He spent the past 27 years with the Angels, first as a major league coach and later as a special assistant to the GM.
A native of Havana, Cuba, Gomez began his playing career in 1944 as a 21-year-old shortstop with the Washington Senators, batting .286 in eight games before spending the rest of his playing career in the minor leagues.
After his playing career ended, Gomez managed in the Mexican Winter League before spending eight years as a minor league coach with the Dodgers.
He was hired by San Diego as the first manager of the expansion Padres in 1969 and spent three years with the club. He also managed the Houston Astros (1974-75) and Chicago Cubs (1980) and compiled a 346-529 record as a manager.
Gomez, who was in good health, is known throughout baseball as one of the warmest and friendliest figures in the game, a guy who greeted everyone with a handshake and an inquiry about how their kids were doing.
Angels Manager Mike Scioscia was so distraught after hearing news of the accident that he did not want to discuss baseball or anything else this morning.
mike.digiovanna@latimes.com
