By Lizbeth Diaz

MEXICO CITY, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Former Major League Baseball pitcher Narciso Elvira and his son died on Tuesday in his home country, Mexico, local authorities said, after a shooting in the violent, oil-rich Gulf coast state Veracruz.

Mexico suffered its worst year for homicides last year, with a record 34,582 victims, increasing concerns over the security strategy of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who argues it needs more time to become effective.

The Ministry for Public Security condemned in a statement the "assassination" of Elvira in the municipality of Medellin de Bravo. Veracruz has been convulsed by gang violence and political corruption scandals for several years.

Local authorities are searching for the attackers, the statement added, in coordination with local and federal law enforcement authorities.

Elvira launched his career in the late 1980s in the Mexican League before moving on to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Texas Rangers. He also played for Korean and Japanese teams. (Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; Writing by Stefanie Eschenbacher. Editing by Gerry Doyle)