Former Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu was found dead in his Los Angeles home of an apparent suicide.
Amidst international excitement, Irabu joined the New York Yankees 14 years ago and the Japanese right-hander seemed destined for stardom on one of the worlds marquee franchises.
“He was a world-class pitcher,” said former major league manager and ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine, who managed Irabu in Japan in 1995. “When Nolan Ryan saw him, he said he had never seen anything like it. There were just some days when he was as good a pitcher as I had ever seen. A fabulous arm.”
According to the Associated Press, the Los Angeles County Coroners Office is investigating the death as a suicide. They reveled no additional circumstances with an autopsy scheduled for either Friday or Saturday.
After an impressive debut for the Yankees in the summer of 1997 he quickly fell out of favor with the team and eventually spent only three seasons in the Bronx. He fell out of favor with then owner George Steinbrenner early on in his Yankee career after failing to cover first base in an exhibition game against Florida. After that Steinbrenner notoriously referred to Irabu as the “fat toad”.
After a disappointing major league career Irabu had his troubles off the field as well.
In 2008 he was arrested in for allegedly assaulting a bartender after drinking 20 mugs of beer. Police said he became angered after his credit card was rejected.
In May 2010, Irabu was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol in Gardena, another Los Angeles suburb. Police said he was stopped after his car drifted outside of traffic lanes and he nearly collided with a parked car.
Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Hideki Irabu.
Source: Associated Press
