Orioles Card "O" the Day

An intersection of two of my passions: baseball cards and the Baltimore Orioles. Updated daily?

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Mike Flanagan, 1987 Fleer #470

I wish that I didn't have a reason to write today's post. For the second time in as many years, a former Orioles player has taken his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Last year, it was Mike Flanagan committing suicide in August. Now, we've heard that Ryan Freel killed himself at his home in Florida yesterday. The former outfielder, who batted .133 with a .350 on-base percentage in a brief 9-game stint in Baltimore in 2009, was 36 years old. He leaves behind a wife and three young daughters, and does so right in the midst of the holiday season. Just awful news all around. I don't know what else to say.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Suicide by gun kills more people than are murdered. I have 2 close connections who died by their own hand and a third close to my circle.

It is horrifying and happens much too frequently.

Zach said...

I loved watching Ryan Freel play. He gave everything he had every second he was on the field, even though he was making far less than many of the players around him. He was a true working-man's player. A sad day for baseball.

Commishbob said...

Hard to imagine the pain someone must be feeling to do this. And knowing the type of pain you are inflicting on those you leave behind... I just can't comprehend this sort of thing. Sad indeed.

Rob said...

I thought you might enjoy this - Mike Flanagan tossed a one hitter in my Statis Pro season!

http://statispro1984.blogspot.com/2013/01/april-24-1984-flanagan-tosses-one-hit.html