RIP Rod Beck

[bosshogg23]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2914994

Rod Beck, who saved 286 games in a 13-year major league career, has died at the age of 38.

The cause of death is unknown at this time. Beck died alone at his Arizona home. Police are investigating, but no foul play is suspected, the Arizona Republic reported on its Web site.

Beck, who played for the Giants, Cubs, Red Sox and Padres, was a three-time All-Star and saved a career-best 51 games with the Cubs in 1998.

Barry Bonds, who played with Beck on the Giants from 1993 until 1997, said he was shocked.

"It comes as a complete shock. We all just found out. He was a great guy, great for us when he was here," Bonds said, according to MLB.com.

[MizzouRah]

What a shock.

[vtbub]

Wow.

[BYU 14]

Huge shock, Beck was a regular guy who always had time for the Fans, one of the few players who would actually sit and drink a few Beers and BS for hours....Very sad.

[larnott]

Huge shock, Beck was a regular guy who always had time for the Fans, one of the few players who would actually sit and drink a few Beers and BS for hours....Very sad.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/s/2003/0515/1554407.html

Does anyone else remember this ESPN story? When I first heard about his death (RIP), it was the first thing I thought of.

[BYU 14]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/s/2003/0515/1554407.html

Does anyone else remember this ESPN story? When I first heard about his death (RIP), it was the first thing I thought of.

That was the first thing that popped into my mind too.....Just a really cool Guy.

[Rizon]

Damn, loved Shooter since he was drafted by the A's. And still loved him when he went to the Giants. :(

[JeeberD]

Holy crap! :eek:

RIP :(

[Lorena]

:(

[Bad-example]

Rest in peace, Shooter. :(

[Young Drachma]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/s/2003/0515/1554407.html

Does anyone else remember this ESPN story? When I first heard about his death (RIP), it was the first thing I thought of.

I did. Sad.

[sterlingice]

I had never read that story before but he always seemed like a good guy when I followed him with the Cubs :(


SI

[Karlifornia]

Dang...Have a lot of good memories of Beck, as he the was the rock solid closer for my beloved Giants during my adolescence. Sad day for Giants fans, and baseball fans in general.

[Sweed]

Terrible news, first heard about Beck's passing during the Cubs game :(

RIP Shooter.

[Neuqua]

That's really too bad. One of my favorite baseball people out there.

[EagleFan]

Sad news

[Swaggs]

Baseball needs more colorful guys like Beck.

RIP. :(

[miami_fan]

SPORTS needs more colorful guys like Beck.

RIP. :(

Fixed

RIP

[clintl]

Very sad. Rod Beck will always be a favorite among us Giants fans.

[Lathum]

shame

[MikeVic]

:(

[Crapshoot]

Rest in peace, Shooter. :(
"".

That mustache probably inspired more fear than his fastball ever did. Take care Shooter.

[pennywisesb]

Baseball needs more colorful guys like Beck.

RIP. :(


I agree. Not enough guys like Rod Beck out there. RIP Shooter.

[BYU 14]

An unfortunate revelation in this case, which unfortunately it seemed a lot of people expected. It has not been determined that Cocaine was the cause of death, but the chances are probably very high. Another tragic example of a great Guy with a horrible problem that wouldn't accept help.

Police found cocaine in house of late pitcher Rod Beck

Michael Kiefer
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 31, 2007 04:01 PM
Regardless of what the medical examiner's report will say, Stacey Beck knows that cocaine addiction killed her husband.

Rod Beck was larger than life, a three-time All Star relief pitcher who played for the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs, among other teams.

He came back to baseball after elbow surgery and a heart condition. He crusaded on behalf of children with AIDS, but it was another illness that laid him low.

He was found dead at his house in north Phoenix on June 23.

On Tuesday, Phoenix police released an investigative report on his death that detailed large quantities of powder, crack and rock cocaine as well as pipes and other drug paraphernalia found in his house.

His personal assistant, who found him dead after he called her to say that he wasn't feeling well, told police that he was a daily user of cocaine.

The medical examiner's report of the death has not yet been published.

"Rodney had a disease of addiction, which is a brain disease, and it stole him away from the people he had," Stacey said Tuesday.

He had been battling the disease since about 2003 while he was still playing for the San Diego Padres.

Stacey filed for divorce in 2004 when Beck relapsed, but stayed close to him. They lived in houses just a few miles apart and shared holidays and responsibility for the children.

Beck's outgoing nature was legendary. But in recent years, he withdrew from his friends.

"Anyone associating with him in the last two years was feeding the problem," Stacey said, "and was not part of the solution."

As recently as three weeks before his death, Stacey staged an intervention; Beck's parents and children and a professional counselor were waiting for Beck when he arrived to take his daughter to baseball practice.

Stacey, who is leaving for Africa in two weeks to volunteer for AIDS relief charities, recalled that Beck became involved in AIDS charities after watching a movie about Ryan White, the Indiana teenager who became a poster boy for childhood AIDS.

"His attitude was that kids should not have to live in shame for being sick, which is why we did AIDS charity work," Stacey said.

When she learned that her father had died, the Becks' younger daughter, Kelsey, 12, told her mother, "Daddy shouldn't die without helping someone else."

"That's the only reason I'm talking about this," Stacey said. "The point of putting it out there is that someone else who has the disease can get some help, can get some comfort, can get some understanding and empathy. That would be the reason to tell it, not just to air dirty laundry."

"And no child should have to be ashamed because her daddy was addicted."

[DanGarion]

Very unfortunate turn of events. :(

[Karlifornia]

Shitty....