Tragic news out of Monkton, Maryland.
According to Baltimore’s WBAL 11, former Orioles pitcher, broadcaster and front office executive Mike Flanagan was reportedly found dead on a trail outside his home shortly before 4:30 p.m. ET Wednesday.
There aren’t many other details available at the moment and the Orioles have not issued a public comment on the unfortunate news.
That should change before the night is through.
Flanagan played basketball and baseball as a youth at UMass-Amherst. He was selected by the Orioles in the seventh round of the 1973 draft and made his debut as a starting pitcher in Baltimore on September 27, 1975.
Flanagan registered a 167-143 record, a 3.90 ERA and 1,491 strikeouts during an impressive 18-year major league career that lasted until 1992.
In 1979, Flanagan earned the American League Cy Young Award after posting a superb 23-9 record, 3.08 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 190/70 K/BB ratio across 265 2/3 innings (38 starts). He found a job in the Baltimore front office soon after hanging up his cleats for good and eventually worked his way up to the position of general manger -- or, as the Orioles call it, executive vice president of baseball operations.
Flanagan also did some broadcasting of O’s games for the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. He was 59.
UPDATE, 10:37pm: The Baltimore Sun has more details now, along with reaction from old teammates.
UPDATE, 10:46pm: The Orioles have confirmed the tragic news, according to the Sun‘s Dan Connolly.
UPDATE, 10:51pm: Brent Harris of Comcast SportsNet heard from a source that “early indications of Mike Flanagan’s death point to suicide.” Michael Jenkins, also of Comcast SportsNet, passed along the report.
UPDATE, 11:03pm: The Associated Press has a bit more on Flanagan’s death, which has been confirmed.
