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Looking back on notable deaths of active pro baseball players

Looking back on notable deaths of active pro baseball players
Posted at 2:31 PM, Jan 22, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-22 15:31:22-05

A look at some of the notable deaths of active pro baseball players in recent years:

Yordano Ventura

Jan. 22, 2017: Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura, 25, was killed in a car crash in his native Dominican Republic. He went 14-10 with a 3.20 ERA in 2014, his first full season in the big leagues, and helped Kansas City reach the World Series for the first time since 1985.

Andy Marte

Jan. 22, 2017: Andy Marte, 33, died in a separate car crash in his native Dominican Republic. Marte played in the majors from 2005-2010 with Atlanta and Cleveland, and returned in 2014 with Arizona. The infielder hit .218 with 21 home runs and 99 RBIs in the big leagues. He spent the past two seasons in South Korea, where he hit 22 homers last year.

Jose Fernandez

Sept. 25, 2016: Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, 24, was killed in a boating accident. It's not clear who was driving, but the ace right-hander had cocaine and alcohol in his system when his boat crashed into a Miami Beach jetty, according to toxicology reports. Fernandez had a blood-alcohol content level of 0.147, well above Florida's legal limit of 0.08, according to autopsy reports.

Oscar Taveras

Oct. 26, 2014: Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras was killed in a car crash in his native Dominican Republic, along with his girlfriend. Earlier in the month, Taveras had homered in the NL playoffs. Dominican officials said Taveras, 22, was legally intoxicated when his car ran into a tree.

Nick Adenhart

April 9, 2009: Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, 22, was killed in a car crash hours after pitching six shutout innings in Anaheim against the Athletics. Two of Adenhart's friends also were killed. A man who was on probation for felony drunken driving was sentenced to 51 years to life in prison. Prosecutors said the driver's blood-alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit when he ran a red light and hit the car carrying Adenhart and three friends.

Josh Hancock

April 29, 2007: Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock, a 29-year-old reliever, was killed when his SUV hit the back of a tow truck parked on a highway to help a driver from another accident. Authorities determined Hancock's blood-alcohol level was nearly twice Missouri's legal limit and that he was going 68 mph in a 55 mph zone and talking on his cellphone when the crash occurred.

Cory Lidle

Oct. 11, 2006: Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle was killed when his small plane crashed into a Manhattan high-rise apartment building. The accident came four days after New York lost in the AL playoffs. The 34-year-old Lidle had gotten his pilot's license earlier in the year. His flight instructor also was killed in the crash, and the National Transportation Safety Board said it couldn't be determined who was at the controls at the time.

Steve Bechler

Feb. 17, 2003: Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler, 23, died a day after collapsing during a spring training workout in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A medical examiner said the diet supplement ephedra was partly to blame for Bechler's death.

Darryl Kile

June 22, 2002: Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile died in his hotel room in Chicago from a blockage of the arteries supplying the heart. The 33-year-old's body was found after he wasn't at Wrigley Field for a game.

 

 

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