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Former Williamsport Crosscutters catcher Chace Numata died Monday from injuries sustained in a skateboarding accident. Numata was 27.
The native of Pearl City, Hawaii, Numata was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 14th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft, and he joined the Crosscutters in 2012. In 43 games that summer, Numata hit .233 with two home runs and 23 RBIs for Williamsport.
He played 10 seasons in the minor leagues for the Phillies, Yankees and Tigers advancing as high as AAA where he played six games with the Toledo Mud Hens. Numata was playing with the Detroit Tigers’ Class AA affiliate, the Erie SeaWolves, when he fell from his skateboard the night of Aug. 30.
According to a report in the Detroit Free Press, Numata was riding his skateboard home around 2 a.m. when surveillance footage showed the skateboard suddenly stop in the street throwing Numata headfirst into the ground. A person driving by found Numata laying in the street and called 911 at 2:15 a.m.
The Tigers and the Numata family announced in a release Monday that Numata had died from the injuries he sustained.
"It is with deep sorrow that the Numata Ohana announces that Chace Kekoa Kenji Numata, our beloved son, brother, and a friends to all, has passed away," the Numata family said in a statement. "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."
An outpouring of support from the baseball community flooded in following his accident and a GoFundMe set up by teammate Logan Shore to help offset medical expenses had raised more than $28,000 as of Monday evening.
"Chase IS the definition of loving everybody. Love you man," former Crosscutter Cole Irvin tweeted.
"Thankful to have known you, Chace. There was never a dull moment and never a time you didn’t have us all laughing. You will be greatly missed by anyone who knew you! RIP Numi!" former Crosscutter Addison Russ tweeted.
"He’s always dancing, always joking and making light of everything. He’s a bright light in everybody’s life," SeaWolves teammate Cam Gibson told the Detroit Free Press. "Numi is the heart and soul of this team. He has more heart and more soul than anybody in this entire organization."