Jan. 6, 2022

The baseball community and those who knew Omar Malave were saddened to learn that he passed away unexpectantly on Nov. 22 at his home in Dunedin.   He was 58 years old.  

Omar was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays organization for 39 years before leaving to join the Algodoneros de Union Laguna of the Mexican league in 2020.   He had signed with the Blue Jays from his native Venezuela in 1980, playing nine minor league seasons, reaching as high as triple-A.   In 1990, he began a coaching career that would see him touch virtually every level of the Blue Jays organization.   He was a minor league manager, coach, coordinator, and also served on the Toronto Blue Jays staff under manager Cito Gaston in 2010.  

Malave’s knowledge, warmth, passion, and care for people made such a positive impact on many players and staff over the years . He will be greatly missed.  The thoughts of baseball people within the Blue Jays organization and across south Florida are with his wife Evelyn, his children Omarlyn, Denise, Melanie, Omar Jr. and grandchildren Elisse, Eliott, Maddie, and Myla.

A funeral service followed by a visitation for on Sunday Jan. 9 at Sylvan Abbey Funeral Homes between 9 am-til-noon

• Funeral service will go from approximately 9:to-9:30am (all are welcome to attend)

• Visitation will be from 9:30 am-to-noon.

Sylvan Abbey Funeral Homes

2853 Sunset Point Rd.

Clearwater, FL 33759

December 18, 2021

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Our Kevin Glew was lamenting the fact that the Toronto Blue Jays have lost so many former employees recently:

Within the past year two years, the Blue Jays have lost:

Players Tony Fernandez, Damaso Garcia, Jerry Johnson, Chuck Hartenstein, coaches Denis Menke and Rich Hacker, scout Duane Larson, former No. 1 pick Tom Goffena and executive Elliott Wahle. All gone.

Less than 30 minutes later news broke that Omar Malave, a gentle man, a mentor to many and a wonderful coach, had died unexpectedly in Dunedin.

* * *

Pat Gillick worked for the Blue Jays for 30 years before taking a year off, then moving on to run the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies on his way to Cooperstown.

“In his ‘30-plus years’ with the Blue Jays Omar was always ready, willing, and eager to share his knowledge with the players and members of the coaching fraternity,” said Gillick from Brimingham, Mich.

“He helped many players and staff on their path to the majors. He was a wonderful person and a true professional. He will be missed.”

Managing the Lara Cardinales in Barquisimeto, Venezuela.

* * *

Dennis Holmberg managed the 1982 class-A Florence Blue Jays. Like any team he managed before or since he told his players to “pay attention ... watch the game ... who knows you might learn something that will help when you are coaching or managing down the road.”

On that Florence team were future major leaguers Jimmy Key, Pat Borders, Mike Sharperson, Stan Clarke and Gibson Alba.

There was also a 19-year-old Venezuelan outfielder on that team. His name was Omar Malave.

“I told the players to watch and learn,” recalled Holmberg the other night. “Didn’t matter which end of the dugout I went to ... Omar followed me around. He was always carrying a bat. Every once in a while he’d whisper ‘Skip I can hit this guy. Put me in.”

Malave reached triple-A with the 1989 Syracuse Chiefs. And soon he was coaching and then managing.

One spring turned to another spring as Holmberg and Malave became two anchors in the Jays minor-league system -- which saw 11 consecutive No. 1 picks become big leaguers and 11 straight winning seasons at the major-league level.

“I can remember I was teasing Omar how I had 1,200 wins in the minors and Omar ‘only’ had 1,100,” said Holmberg.

Holmberg will be back as coach and mentor with the Blue Jays rookie-class Florida Complex team next year. It will be his 42nd year with the franchise as he managed rookie-class Medicine Hat, class-A Kinston, class-A Florence, class-A Dunedin, class-A Auburn, class-A Bluefield and the rookie-class Blue Jays in the Gulf Coast league. His teams went 1,560-1,425 (.523 winning percentage) in 31 seasons. He managed, he coached in the system he was a coach with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1994-95 on manager Cito Gaston’s staff.

Malave had nine seasons in the Jays system and worked as a coach, manager or scout for the next 25 years. So 34 seasons altogether. He was on Gaston’s staff in 2010.

No two men have put on a Jays uniform more often than Holmberg and Malave.

Malave managed the Gulf Coast Jays, Medicine Hat, class-A Hagerstown Suns, double-A Knoxville Smokies, Syracuse and Dunedin to a 1,479-1,393 (.515 winning mark).

After the 2019 season, Malave told the Blue Jays he was leaving ... off to Mexico to manage and serve as baseball operations director of the Algodoneros de Union Laguna in Coahuila. The 2020 season was wiped out by COVID-19 and in 2021 the Algodoneros went 31-33 in a 64-game schedule.

* * *

Also on that 1982 team with Key, Borders, Malave et al was speedy OF Ralph (Rocket) Wheeler in his sixth and final season playing in the Jays system. Wheeler went on to coach manage 18 seasons in the Toronto system.

Wheeler ran the show with Medicine Hat, the Gulf Coast Jays, class-A Blue Jays, St. Catharines, Dunedin and double-A Tennessee going 544-564 (.491 winning mark.)

“About two weeks ago I bumped into Ernie Whitt it was the first time we’d talked in a long time,” said Wheeler from Myrtle Beach. “We sat down and within 10 minutes it was like we saw each other the week before. I have a lot of friends with the Toronto organization. I still do ... you just don’t forget 26 years.

“Omar was a great friend, losing him hurts. Omar was a big part of my life. He came to America to try and learn the way we live. I went to Venezuela to be with his Lara Cardinales teams and learn about his country. We played together in the Jays system and in Venezuela and we coached together.”

After being let go by J.P. Ricciardi at the end of the 2002 season, Wheeler went on to manage 15 years in the Braves’ system and managed Auburn in the Nationals’ system in 2019 before retiring.

“Auburn played Willamsport in 2019, a Phillies’ affiliate, what a reunion that was,” Wheeler said. “Pat Borders was managing, (roving outfield coach) Rob Ducey and (roving minor league instructor) Whitt were all in town at the same time. That was friendship. It picked up like we were back in Dunedin in the spring.”

In 27 seasons with the Jays, Braves and Nationals he managed 2,956 games with a 1,418-1537 win mark (.480 win %).

“Omar and I got ‘em ready for the next year, so someone else could get them ready for the next year, and so on,” Wheeler said.

* * *

John McLaren used to coach third base for the Blue Jays. He’s still coaching and had an impact on the 2021 World Series. Atlanta Braves lefty Tyler Matzek (3-0, with four holds and a 1.71 ERA with four walks, 24 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings) restored his career pitching for manager McLaren and the Texas AirHogs in the independent American Association in 2018.

“I was really shocked when I heard about Omar,” said McLaren. “He was really polite, friendly and a genuinely warm person. I had him in Venezuela and I loved having him on team.

“Omar could play multiple positions and was a good contact hitter. He was a good communicator. All the Latin players looked up to him. He was honest, loyal and caring ... everything you wanted in a staff member.”

With the class-A Dunedin Blue Jays …

* * *

In 2012, we wrote about Omar’s granddaughter, Elisse Valentina Jensen. Omarlyn, Omar’s daughter had the worries of getting Elisse’s heart problem fixed, after her lung collapsed. The diagnosis was sinus venosus atrial septal defect and open-heart surgery was required. Elisse’s dad Joe Jensen had been laid off and found a new job, but he did not have insurance to cover prescriptions and the trips to the hospitals.

George Steinbrenner’s granddaughter saw an item about Elisse’s plight on Tampa TV and was so moved that she drove over to drop off a 2011 New York Yankees autographed ball. Memorabilia donations poured in. Jose Bautista collected money from the Jays players. Jays fans made donations.

Elisse was air lifted to Houston and surgery was successful. Every time I returned to the Mattick Complex after that Omar would call me over and then grab a nearby by Latin player or coach. The introduction was always the same:

“You don’t know this man ... but this man is part of my family, he helped save my granddaughter’s life,” Omar would say. I say it wasn’t true.

Next thing you know he was using his shirt sleeve to wipe his eyes and I was doing the same. The teenage player from Venezuela would walk away shaking his head at these two old guys sobbing.