PITTSBURGH -- John Robert Candelaria Jr., 2-year-old son of former Pirates pitcher John Candelaria, died Thursday in Children's Hospital of injuries suffered in a near drowning accident at the family's home in Sarasota, Fla., a hospital spokeswoman said.
The boy had been in a coma since last Christmas morning when he fell into a swimming pool and was found unconscious.
He was hospitalized at Tampa, Fla., following the accident for five weeks. He then was returned home with round-the-clock nursing care. In early February, he was taken to a Sarasota hospital after his heart stopped beating briefly.
The child underwent gastrointestinal surgery at Children's Hospital in April to 'facilitate feeding and ease his transfer from hospital to home,' a doctor said.
Candelaria was traded to the California Angeles late last season.
