Posted on 08/24/2011 6:52:37 PM PDT by Alistair Stratford IV
Orioles Great Mike Flanagan Found Dead Near Monkton Home
The Cy Young winner is dead at 59.
By Tyler Waldman and Sean Welsh
Orioles great Mike Flanagan was found dead Wednesday afternoon outside his home in northern Baltimore County, according to Orioles officials and news reports.
WBAL-TV reports that police found a body shortly before 4:30 p.m. outside Flanagan's Monkton home in the 15000 block of York Road.
The Baltimore Sun reports that police remained outside Flanagan's home Wednesday night, and a police car blocked the driveway.
Flanagan was a member of the 1983 World Series championship team, and in recent years served as a front office executive and television broadcaster for MASN.
He appeared in 526 games in 18 seasons, going 167-143 with a 3.90 ERA. He won 23 games for the Orioles in 1979, winning the American League Cy Young Award, voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America as the best pitcher in the league.
Flanagan was named vice president for baseball operations on Dec. 4, 2002, working alongside Jim Beattie. He was promoted to executive vice president of baseball on Oct. 11, 2005, working closely with vice president Jim Duquette. With both partners, the job was a rare role that was viewed around baseball as a dual-general manager tandem.
He was elected to the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1994—his first year of eligibility.
He was drafted in 1973, and debuted in 1975. After spending three-plus years in Toronto, he returned to Baltimore as a free agent in 1991, appearing in 63 gams as a reliever—including Oct. 6, 1991, when he entered with one out and struck out two Tigers hitters before 50,700 fans in the final game at Memorial Stadium. He retired in 1992.
He was the Orioles pitching coach in 1995 before spending two years as a television analyst. He went back to the field in 1998, again as pitching coach, before spending four more years in the broadcast booth preceding his move to the front office.
Flanagan was born in Manchester, NH on Dec. 16, 1951. He pitched for the University of Massachusetts.
His grandfather, Ed Sr., and father, Ed Jr., played in the Red Sox organization.
Flanagan lived in Sparks with his wife, Alex, and three daughters—Kerry, Kathryn and Kendall.
Too young to die.
RIP Orioles Great, Mike Flanagan.
Sorry to hear this about Flanny.
So young!
The article doesn’t even say what happened. I assume an autopsy will be performed, or something?
Journalism is a dying art.
In the meantime, prayers for the family.
Wow; just happened to scroll down to this.
We’ll miss you, Mike.
Here's a bizarre little point of interest from that era:
During Ron Guidry's stellar 25-3 season for the Yankees in 1978, all three of his losses came against left-handed pitchers with the first name of Mike. In addition to Mike Flanagan of the Orioles, these included Mike Caldwell of the Brewers and Mike Willis of the Blue Jays.
After that hockey player from the Rangers (Derek Boogaard) was found dead in his Minnesota apartment a few months ago, it was several weeks before his cause of death was reported. It was ruled an accident caused by mixing prescription drugs that shouldn't have been taken together.
Hey - so is it Monkton, or Sparks? Make up your minds, reporters!
I went to an 1983 World Series game...not sure which one but I still have the stub. RIP Mike Flanagan.
Doesn’t really matter. They are close together and both are small rural communities.....with some serious upscale developments of luxury homes of Baltimore commuters.
So true. Back to basics: who, what, when, where, how, and why. Sheesh.
Watched dozens of his starts on summer nights from Section 34 with Wild Bill and the crew.
Or Sparks, Nevada as no state was listed.
<<Under these circumstances I’m guessing there is no cause of death listed just yet.<<
Any reasonable reporter would try to determine that and at least report that no cause of death is listed yet.
Where was he found? In what state? What do the authorities say?
Bad reporting to say the least...
This isn’t bad journalism, just breaking news.
The first three sentences were written immediately, as soon as basic information was released. The rest of the article was already-written copy filed away and ready for publication when Flanagan died.
That’s just how it’s done. Biographical obits are prepared in advance for well-known figures.
There will be follow-up stories with additional details.
No, both towns are in MD and I do know they are near each other (I’m just pointing out the detail mismatch); they did mention Baltimore County.
They also mention York Road, etc; we locals recognize all that. ;-)
Sacrilege!
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