Major League Baseball Sandy moved out on his own where he eventually developed an alcohol problem which later led to ill health (diabetes) and a life of poverty. He lost his best friend in 1986, then lost part of his left leg in 1987 to circulatory problems and gangrene where, at that time, old teammates and then the Baseball Assistance Program (BAT) gave him a helping hand. Five years later, at the age of 62, Sandy died from pneumonia, in Miami, Florida. He had been scheduled to travel to Brooklyn for a day in his honor and an appearance with Yogi Berra at a baseball-card show. See also List of Cubans List of Major League Baseball players from Cuba List of Negro league baseball players who played in Major League Baseball References External links 1930 births 1992 deaths Brooklyn Dodgers players Central American and Caribbean Games gold medalists for Cuba Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in baseball Competitors at the 1950 Central American and Caribbean Games Cuban amputees Cuban expatriate baseball players in the United States Deaths from pneumonia in Florida Denver Bears players Detroit Tigers players Diablos Rojos del México players Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball left fielders Major League Baseball players from Cuba Mexican League baseball players Montreal Royals players New York Cubans players St. Paul Saints (AA) players Sportspeople from Matanzas