A fatal fire in a Brooklyn apartment tragically took the lives of two people on Saturday. The police identified the victims as a long-time baseball coach and his elderly mother, who were residents of the building on Nostrand Avenue in East Flatbush. Their deaths come as a shock to the baseball community in Brooklyn.

The 65-year-old Jose Castro shared his baseball knowledge with young players through different organizations. He was a volunteer coach for almost 40 years at Bonnie Youth Club, alongside coaching junior varsity baseball at The Packer Collegiate Institute. Castro also ran a coaching and mentoring program called Books and Baseball for young players. He even posted glimpses of the program on Instagram.

The treasurer and athletic director at Bonnie Youth Club, Jerry Katzke, remembered Castro’s contribution to their Brooklyn baseball community.

“He was a big part of our organization. He’s one of these guys that everybody liked, and everyone wanted to work with,” said Katzke, per the Daily News. “Whether it’s in a school setting or whether it’s in a sandlot setting like ours, everything he’s really done has revolved around kids and baseball and tutoring.”

Apart from coaching baseball, Castro was also a caregiver to his 86-year-old mother, Maria. Not having children of his own, the Brooklyn coach lived with his elderly mother. The fire reportedly ripped through their small apartment early in the morning, around 6:50 am. Alongside Jose and his mother, two others were also injured.

Katzke shared that the night before the accident, he and Castro discussed plans for Castro’s upcoming weekend tournament. However, bad weather delayed the event.

As Brooklyn baseball mourns the loss of their own beloved coach, the Milwaukee Brewers lost a legend of their own, Charlie Moore. Passed away at 72 years old. Moore played the pivotal role in the 1982 Game 5 of the ALCS. He helped the Brewers secure their only pennant in history.

Meanwhile, the baseball community in Brooklyn remembered their favorite coach through tributes and memorabilia.

Tributes for Castro have flooded in

Jose Castro’s longtime workplace, the Bonnie Youth Club, will hold a memorial for the beloved coach. The club will turn its Hall of Fame ceremony into a tribute to honor the bilingual Hall of Fame coach for his contributions. While the 75-year-old organization has mourned the passing of older alumni over the years, a sudden tragedy like this is unprecedented for the current generation of players and families.

The parents of the kids Castro coached have also mourned his loss. Katzke reportedly stated that his death has come as a shock to his students and the parents.

“He’s irreplaceable,” parent Juan Mercado said, per NBC New York. “You can’t find somebody who’s gonna give that much of himself to this game and to this community.”

Castro’s friends revealed that the coach cared deeply about mentoring youths and often helped them enroll in programs even if their families were unable to pay for them. Following his death, many have paid tribute with flowers, candles, and baseball memorabilia outside his apartment.

Tributes for Castro have also flooded social media, including a message from the Clutch Recruits USA youth baseball league on Facebook.

According to the Daily News, the Clutch Recruits wrote, “Coach Jose was more than a baseball coach. He was a mentor, a role model, and someone who genuinely cared about the young people he coached. Some people never realize how much a simple word of encouragement, patience, or belief in a child can mean. Coach Jose gave that to so many families and young athletes over the years. His kindness, dedication, and presence will never be forgotten.”

The athletic director at the John Jay Campus, Brian Friedman, also expressed his shock about the tragic incident, stating that Jose Castro will be deeply missed and remembered.

According to reports, the FDNY is still investigating the cause of the fire.