97.1 The Ticket -- Chace Numata, a catcher in the Detroit Tigers' farm system, died Monday from injuries he suffered in a skateboard accident over the weekend.
The 27-year-old native of Pearl City, Hawaii, had spent this season with the Double-A Erie SeaWolves. He played 10 seasons in the Minor Leagues, including stints in the Phillies and Yankees organizations.
The Tigers released a statement regarding Numata's death:
“The Detroit Tigers are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Chace Numata, who was a catcher for our Double A affiliate in Erie. Though this was his first year with our organization, Chace was beloved by many from our Major League club through all levels of our player development system. He had an engaging personality that quickly established him as a leader on and off the field, and his presence will be forever remembered in our organization and beyond. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, teammates and coaches.”
Detroit Tigers statement regarding the passing of Chace Numata: pic.twitter.com/H6TCAQO1S8
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers)
September 2, 2019 In a statement, his family says he was blessed with the opportunities baseball brought him.
"Everyone who was around Chace knew there was never a stranger in the room when he was there. It didn’t matter if you were a professional athlete or young child, he made sure to make everyone feel comfortable and welcomed," the statement said. "His smile was contagious, unrelenting, and never ending, while his personality could light up any environment he would be in. Our family would like to say Mahalo nui loa to everyone who prayed for, thought of, and acknowledged Chace during this difficult time. We heard you and we appreciate you all from the bottom of our hearts! #FORNUMI”
Fernando Aguirre, owner of the SeaWolves, also released a statement.
“The Erie SeaWolves are heartbroken and deeply saddened by the passing of Chace Numata. Chace was a leader, an outstanding teammate, a friend to many, and his personality was positive and infectious. He made everyone he met feel welcome, and he had a very positive impact throughout the SeaWolves organization and the Erie community. We extend our sympathies to the Numata Ohana and have them in our thoughts and prayers. RIP Chace.”
Statements from the Numata Family, the Detroit Tigers and the Erie SeaWolves on the passing of Chace Numata: https://t.co/uQOiLlYNzS pic.twitter.com/zgPWoCclar
— Erie SeaWolves (@erie_seawolves)
September 2, 2019 A story from GoErie.com says Numata was riding a motorized skateboard down the street in downtown Erie early Friday morning when he fell and injured his head. There were no vehicles involved in the accident, according to the story.
