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Yankees pay tribute to Omar Minaya's wife Rachel before Tampa Bay Rays game after spouse of team exec's mysterious death

1 month ago 13

By Oliver Salt

Published: 18:14 BST, 22 July 2024 | Updated: 18:39 BST, 22 July 2024

The New York Yankees paid their respects to Rachel Minaya before Monday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays following the tragic death of their team executive's wife.

Yankees exec and former Mets general manager Omar Minaya's personal life has been rocked by tragedy after wife Rachel was reportedly found dead at their New Jersey home on Saturday in mysterious circumstances.

The New York Post broke the news of her passing on Sunday while confirming that Omar was not at the house at the time. Suicide has also been ruled out as the cause.


Following their exec's devastating personal loss, New York honored Minaya's wife with a touching tribute on the big screen at Yankee Stadium before the game against Tampa Bay.

Both teams and the spectators present also held a moment of silence to remember Rachel on Monday afternoon. 

The Yankees paid their respects to Rachel Minaya before Monday's game against the Rays

Yankees exec Omar Minaya (left) has been rocked by tragedy after wife Rachel (right0 was reportedly found dead at their New Jersey home on Saturday

Omar, who previously spent time as general manager for the Mets, has worked for the Yankees as a senior advisor to GM Brian Cashman since 2023. 

He first met Rachel while she was working at a unisex salon in Manhattan in 1989, according to a 2007 Sports Illustrated article.

The couple are believed to have got married in the Italian town of Castiglione della Pescaia within a year of meeting, meaning they had been together for around 35 years before Rachel's death. They also have two sons, Teddy and Justin.

The Yankees said in a statement on social media: 'Prior to today’s game, we held a moment of silence to mourn the loss of Rachel Minaya, the beloved wife of Yankees Senior Advisor of Baseball Operations Omar Minaya, and the devoted mother to Teddy and Justin Minaya.

'We send our deepest condolences to Rachel’s family and friends during this time'.

It is impossible to overstate the depth of feeling in this sport for Omar Minaya. He has impacted many lives.

Omar lost his beloved wife, Rachel, on Saturday. The Yankees honored Rachel with a moment of silence before today’s game. Both New York are teams taking this loss hard. pic.twitter.com/AVHiMKOy80

— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) July 22, 2024

Omar was not at the house at the time of Rachel's passing, while suicide has been ruled out

Omar became baseball's first Hispanic general manager when he took the position with the New York Mets in 2004. 

His tenure in Queens is best remembered for the blockbuster acquisitions of Boston Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez and All-Star outfielder Carlos Beltran. 

He previously worked as an executive for the Montreal Expos and as a scout for the Texas Rangers.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Omar moved to Queens at age 8 and grew up in Corona before becoming a star baseball player at Newtown High School in Elmhurst.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Rachel was an interior designer who worked as a president at RMS Interior Design from 2012-18. She was believed to have been a New Jersey native.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Rachel was an interior designer who worked as a president at RMS Interior Design from 2012-18

Omar and Rachel's sons are both enjoying success in different fields; with Justin a basketball player who suited up for both the Portland Trail Blazers and their G-League affiliate during the 2023-24 season.

The 25-year-old is back with the Trail Blazers Summer League team in Las Vegas this month. 

Teddy, meanwhile, works as an Operations Specialist at Apple Retail.

His LinkedIn profile states that he earned a Bachelor's degree in Psychology at the University of Tampa.

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