Former Major League Baseball player Ryan Freel was found dead Saturday at the age of 36. He died of a self-inflicted shotgun blast in his Jacksonville home. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was investigating the death as a suicide. The scrappy, versatile Freel played eight seasons in the majors from 2001-09 with Toronto, Cincinnati, Baltimore, the Chicago Cubs and Kansas City. After appearing in nine games with Toronto in 2001, he played for the Reds from 2003-08 before spending 2009 with the Orioles, Cubs and Royals. “The Reds family is deeply saddened to hear of the death of Ryan Freel,” the team said. “His teammates and fans loved him for how hard he played, and he loved giving back to the community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.” It’s unclear why Freel tragically took his own life. Freel was a career .268 hitter in 594 big league games, stealing 143 bases and splitting time between second, third and all three outfield positions.
