Former Orioles Pitcher Mike Flanagan's Death Ruled Suicide
The former Orioles pitcher Mike Flanagan’s death has been ruled a suicide by Maryland medical examiners, AP reported Thursday.
The legendary pitcher was found dead on property near his home on Wednesday. At the time, Baltimore County police declined to comment on the cause of death until the investigation was complete, but Flanagan sustained a fatal gun-shot wound to the head, according to Bloomberg.
“It’s just a shock right now,” Rick Dempsey, former teammate to Flanagan, said to local media. “I know everybody that played with him loved him.”
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On the Orioles website, team managing partner Peter Angelos wrote, “It is with deep sadness that I learned of the death of my friend Mike Flanagan.”
Flanagan, 59, leaves behind his wife, Alex, and three daughters, Kerry, Kathryn, and Kendall.
The suicide may have been brought on by Flanagan’s seemingly deteriorating mental health. Also, he was apparently very downhearted about criticism in Baltimore, which blamed the former pitcher for the Orioles’ recent descent.
Hall of Famer and shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. said Flanagan “was an Oriole through and through.”
“This is a sad day,” continued Ripken’s statement Wednesday.
The left-handed pitcher was with the Orioles for 18 seasons, from 1975-87, and again in 1991-92. He also played for the Toronto Blue Jays. In 1979, Flanagan received the Cy Young Award after a 23-9 record and a 3.08 ERA.
The Orioles won the World Series in 1983, during which Flanagan went 12-4. He won 141 games as an Oriole.
A member of the Orioles’ Hall of Fame, Flanagan retired from pitching in 1992. He then served the team as a pitching coach, and was the Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations. He was also a member of the team’s television broadcast crew on three different occasions.
Flanagan also worked on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network in the broadcast booth as a color analyst.
