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That sounds like I’m trying to be an asshole, right? It sounds like I woke up this morning and read that Mike Flanagan had committed suicide, and I’ve got no tact or personal connection to the man or his family so I came up with something jokey and tasteless for a headline. That’s what we do on the Internet, right? Joke about these things until they don’t matter?
Flanagan’s body was found outside his Baltimore County home yesterday afternoon. He was 59.
Police have not released an official cause of death … But WBAL-TV Sports Director Gerry Sandusky confirmed with sources that Flanagan committed suicide “despondent over what he considered a false perception from a community he loved of his role in the team’s prolonged failure.”
Unbelievable.
Flanagan, in many respects, was as “Baltimore” as the city itself. He lived in Baltimore County. From 1975 until 1992, he played all but four of his 18 seasons in the Major Leagues there. He won a Cy Young for the Orioles in 1979 and a World Series in ’83, and in his post-playing days stuck around in Baltimore as a pitching coach, broadcaster and executive vice president of baseball operations. That would’ve been a general manager in most places. The Baltimore Orioles haven’t had a winning season since 1997, but as weird as it is to hope there was some reasonable explanation for a man taking his own life, you’ve got to hope that there was more to it than that.
The Baltimore Sun has started posting reactions from various Orioles players and executives, including a statement from Peter Angelos and this from Cal Ripken, Jr. I don’t think I can handle a sad Cal Ripken.
“I am so sorry to hear about Mike’s passing. He was a good friend and teammate and our thoughts are with Alex and his family. Mike was an Oriole through and through and he will be sorely missed by family, friends and fans. This is a sad day.”
Even sadder is Jim Palmer, who had to react to the news in the middle of last night’s game.
Rest in peace, Mr. Flanagan, and thank you for trying.
![[avatar]](https://profilecdn-woven.netdna-ssl.com/photo/1245/profile)
Sad, just sad. Especially for his wife and 3 daughters. He had to have been wrestling with bigger demons than the Orioles being terrible to do something this sad and selfish.
Reached for comment, Avon Barksdale had this to say: Fuck all them Eastside bitches.
whoever wrote this should have a bullet put in there mouth… and i am not even an orioles fan.
@jason – I should kill myself because I’m sad about Mike Flanagan dying and the weird report about it, or are you talking about the people who said he killed himself? Or did you not read any of it and get pissed at the headline?
*patiently waits for angry comment from person who just read the headline.*
…aaaand, TIME! Good work, Jason!
@jason: I think you forgot to actually read the post…
As an Orioles fan, I understand that not all the blame for the team being terrible goes on his shoulders, and I feel sad that he couldn’t reconcile his personal and professional lives. I can only hope he finds the peace that he never found in life.
Shoulda’ been you, Joe Buck.
I think Jason is talking about the comment above his, from LJ… and yes, LJ should have a bullet implanted in his/her head because that’s all he/she is good for… target practice.
Shoulda been you, Peter Angelos.
Obviously there has to be so much more going on in this sad, sad story. If baseball legends committed suicide because their old teams are now hopelessly pathetic with no hope of ever improving George Brett would lit himself on fire a decade ago.
Barrrrgh watching a fella like Jim Palmer cry is a guaranteed way to make me cry
Also, listening now Peter Angelos?
Some of you are either disturbed or too young to appreciate the value of life. I pity you. Mike Flanagan did more in his short life than most will dream of accomplishing. I hate it for his family and kids, especially. Who knows why he did it? You’re a fool if you think you know, and worse if you think there’s anything funny about any of this. Wishing it had been someone else just gives you something to live down, which will take a while even if you ever do figure it out. Bye, Mike. You were one fine O and one crafty lefty.
They are saying now that it was irresponsible journalism by WBAL and others who reported that reason (not you, Brandon, yours is a reaction piece). They are now saying that it was more about financial issues.
I don’t know what to believe. How much do broadcasters get paid? Flanny only had a $525,000 house by reports that I’ve read (I know, I shouldn’t say ONLY when I can barely afford $600/mo. rent), but I feel like he wasn’t an extravagant enough person to have a ton of debt to weigh him down. I guess you can never tell.
The Jim Palmer reaction is actually from AFTER the Orioles game. Want to know how I know?
Because MASN, the official Angelos owned station of the Baltimore Orioles, DIDN’T SAY A WORD ABOUT FLANAGAN UNTIL THEIR POST GAME SHOW.
A Baltimore icon like Mike Flanagan, beloved by the city and fans and players and pretty much everyone he came into contact with, and the official network of the Orioles lets the information slide until they were done with the game. MASN is the network that residents in this area would immediately turn to in order to get information on such a story, and they did a disservice to fans and Flanagan himself by pretending nothing happened.
Crap.
For shame with leather, I only looked at your pos website because my gut told me you’d print some shit like this . You have no decency. Mike Flanagan was a good man , you didn’t know him , I did . You are just some fucking loser sitting in his parent’s basement waiting for stories to come across the line to add your 2 bit opinion to and post on your pos website . Mike Flanagan was a great man and a great friend , he did more for my family than anyone I know , and was an Oriole legend and a cy young winner to boot . Think anyone will remember who came up with With Leather ? Go Fuck yourself lowlife, officially signing off your website forever .
Again, what
Haha, I love when people don’t read.
Also, why does everybody think I live in my parents’ basement? My parents didn’t have a basement until I was like 25.
Damn it Burnsy and Brandon, if they read the entire article instead of just the headline it would interfere with their life’s purpose of being self-righteous douche-nozzles.
@paulblairrules and lasttimeilllookatthiswebsite: that’s because you don’t understand: suicide is funny. Also “in context” and “reading” are GOOD things.