According to a statement released by Bergen County (N.J.) prosecutor Mark Musella on Monday, Rachel Minaya, the wife of New York Yankees baseball operations senior adviser Omar Minaya, passed away on Saturday after being discovered unconscious at a private home in Harrington Park, N.J. She was fifty-five.
According to the statement, Harrington Park Police responded to a 911 call stating that Minaya had been discovered unconscious and unresponsive in the home’s bathroom. She was taken to a hospital in Westwood, New Jersey, where she was declared dead, despite first responders’ best efforts to revive her, according to the statement.
The death is being looked into by authorities. The statement said, “A ruling on the cause and manner of death is forthcoming, but the circumstances involved do not appear suspicious.”
Omar Minaya, who joined the Yankees in 2023, was formerly the general manager of the New York Mets from 2004 to 2010 and served as a special assistant to many general managers from 2017 to 2020.
“The Yankees are devastated to learn of the passing of Rachel Minaya, the wife of Yankees Baseball Operations Senior Advisor Omar Minaya,” the team said in a statement Monday. “To those closest to her, she was a loving and compassionate mother and wife, and a huge supporter of her family and loved ones.”
Statement from the New York Yankees: pic.twitter.com/bgSp48FCDj
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 22, 2024
Before playing the national anthem during their Monday afternoon game at Yankee Stadium against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Yankees observed a minute of silence in honor of Rachel Minaya.
We observed a moment of silence before today’s game to honor the memory of Rachel Minaya, the cherished wife of Omar Minaya, Senior Advisor of Baseball Operations for the Yankees, and the loving mother of Teddy and Justin Minaya. We extend our sincere sympathies to Rachel’s friends and family. tweet.com/sP1vNPM2Jm
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 22, 2024
“We were tremendously saddened to learn of Rachel Minaya’s passing,” New York Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen said in a statement Monday. “Omar had a substantial impact on our organization and his wife, Rachel, was always by his side every step of the way.
“The Minayas have been dear friends of ours for years and we extend our deepest condolences to Omar’s entire family and loved ones.”
Rachel Minaya leaves behind her two adult kids, Justin and Teddy, in addition to her spouse. For the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA, Justin plays forward.
Omar Minaya met Rachel in 1989 when he was having a haircut at a Manhattan hair salon, according to a 2007 Sports Illustrated profile. The pair got engaged a year later.
(Photo of Omar and Rachel Minaya in 2014: Cindy Ord / Getty Images for Reveal Entertainment)
