Former major league baseball player Ryan Freel has apparently committed suicide. He was found dead on Saturday from what seems to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Jacksonville, Fla. home but the ultimate cause of his death will be determined by a specialist. He leaves behind a wife and three children. Freel was 36.
Freel spent eight years in the major leagues and played for five different teams.
He played in only nine games for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2001, his debut year. After that, he signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for a year.
Then Freel spent five seasons with the Cincinnati Reds as a free agent. In 2008, Freel was traded to the Orioles, who then traded him the next year to the Chicago Cubs.
He bounced around from team to team until his retirement in 2010, when he returned to his hometown of Jacksonville to coach youth baseball.
Freel was an aggressive player, but his fearlessness caused him injuries. During his career, he estimated he had sustained up to 10 concussions.
Freel often made highlight reels for his brazen catches, often crashing headlong into walls, seats and other players as he dove for the ball.
"The Reds family is deeply saddened to hear of the death of Ryan Freel," said the Cincinnati Reds.
"His teammates and our fans loved him for how hard he played the game, and he loved giving back to the community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."
Freel was arrested several times for drunken or disorderly conduct, as well as driving under the influence.
He quit drinking after that. "I have not had a sip of alcohol in three years. I definitely learned from that," Freel told the Baltimore Sun in 2009.
"Me and drinking probably wasn't a good thing. Kicking that whole thing was probably the best thing to happen for me, my family and my career."
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