DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Former Red Ryan Freel Commits Suicide

Reds fans on the board will remember him well.



First Coast News sports director Dan Hicken has learned that Ryan Freel, a Jacksonville native and former Major League Baseball has died at the age of 36. The cause of death is suicide.

Freel played baseball at Sandalwood and Englewood High School. He played for five different MLB teams from 2001-2009. He is most known for his six-year tenure with the Cincinnati Reds.

His career batting average was .268 and he stole 143 bases in his career.

Since his retirement from professional baseball in 2009, Freel was a part of an organization on the First Coast called BLD Baseball. BLD stands for Big League Development. Through this organization, Freel coached local youth baseball players.



http://www.firstcoastnews.com/topstories...reel-Dead-at-36

Very sad to hear this. He played his heart out and gave 100% every time... One of my personal favs to watch, just have to wonder if the concussions due to his playing style (reckless abandon) had anything to do with it.

One of my favorite Reds. RIP Ryan Freel

Former Red Frank Pastore died last week from the injuries he sustained in a motorcycle accident back in November.

RIP Frank Pastore

You wonder what kind of despair and desperation could lead a former major leaguer to do this? I remember watching Freel in various Reds - Indians series a few years back and thinking he was a good ballplayer. Reminded me of a Grady Sizemore type - speed, defense, gap hitter, IIRC. Such a shame, and not just because he was a talented athlete.

Findlay, I did a google search and found an article from 2007 in which Freel says he has had 9 or 10 concussions in his career so yeah you got to wonder if that didn't play a big part of his decision to end his life.

That could be it, or maybe he just couldn't handle the end of his career.

Look at the players who have gotten into legal trouble, financial issues, and major drug problems once their career ended. They were no longer "special", and tried to find a way to either make themselves feel special, or end the pain of not being special.

If I were a representative of the players associations, I would negotiate ongoing counseling and mental health assistance for players post career. of course, for the most part all they seem to care about is getting the most money they can .... and the older players be damned.