O/T Terell Owens attempts suicide

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Posted By: Turner Engle

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=aef_R.e5T.sk&refer=home>

This is just crazy. Has anybody ever heard of old time ball players doing this kind of stuff?

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Posted By: Bob Pomilla

I'd say there were a few.

http://www.thedeadballera.com/suicides.html

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Posted By: barrysloate

In 1900 Marty Bergen hacked up his family and then killed himself. And Willard Hershberger, who appears in the 1940 Play Ball set, killed himself in a hotel room. I'm sure there are others.

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Posted By: MVSNYC

they were much more creative back then...battery acid, morphine, opium, illuminating gas, choloric acid...etc.

as far as "oldtime" ballplayers pulling stunts like TO...just read up on Rube Waddell, Germany Schafer, and even our beloved G.H. Ruth...just to name a few.

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Posted By: S. Gross

Looks like an interesting "Type card" collection possibility.

Still, of all the crazies, ol' Terrible Terry Larkin is the king ....

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Posted By: Tom Boblitt

'dead' ballera.com

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Posted By: PC

Otto Miller ...

http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/library/columns/rw_040504.htm

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Posted By: Zach Rice

I believe Harry Pullam commited suicide.

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Posted By: robert a

Turner,

From the stories that I've read, that was a lot more troubled ball players in the "old times." Many had to pick up a second job after "work" at the local bar.

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Posted By: Bob

Unfriggingbelievable that someone would kill themselves by slashing their throat with a razor blade (several died that way). Of course consuming battery acid wouldn't be my preference either.
Did every major league player named McGann commit suicide?????

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Posted By: Mike

Does Ken Caminiti count?

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Posted By: Judge Dred (Fred)

Cmonnow, can't y'all read... it wasn't a suicide attempt, it was an alergic reaction to his pain medication...

Mike,

Caminiti didn't kill himself in the literal sense. He died of an OD or heart attack (brought on by drug abuse). His was truly a tragic story. He was a heck of a ball player, even if he did roids. He was a true competitor.

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Posted By: Judge Dred (Fred)

From Deadball Era.Com

1881: Fraley Rogers (31)....................Gun

1889: Jim McElroy (26)....................Opium Overdose

1889: Frank Ringo (28)....................Morphine

1891: Ernie Hickman (35)....................Gun

1894: Terry Larkin (?)....................Slit His Throat With A Razor

1894: Edgar McNabb (28)....................Gun

1896: Cannonball Crane (34)....................Overdose Of Chloral

1900: Marty Bergen (28) ....................Slit His Throat After Killing His Wife And Two Children

1903: WIN MERCER (28)....................INHALED ILLUMINATING GAS

1904: DAN MAHONEY (39)....................Drank Carbolic Acid

1907: CHICK STAHL (34)....................Drank Carbolic Acid

1908: Reddy Foster (44)....................Shotgun

1909: Nicholas Mathewson (22) MINOR LEAGUER....................Gun (CHRISTY'S BABY BROTHER)

1909: HARRY PULLIAM (44) NL PRESIDENT....................Gunshot To The Head

1910: ED STRICKLAND (26) MINOR LEAGUER....................Gun (AFTER SHOOTING HIS GIRLFRIEND FIRST)

1910: CHARLES NELSON BROWN (?) MINOR LEAGUER....................Gun

1910: JAMES PAYNE (?) MINOR LEAGUER....................Gun

1910: DAN McGANN (39)....................Gun

1911: RANDOLPH BLANCH (PENNSYLVANIA SPORTS WRITER)....................Gun

1911: THOMAS SENIOR (32) MINOR LEAGUE UMP....................Gun

1911: DICK SCOTT (27)....................RAZOR

1914: CHARLIE WEBER (45)....................Gun

1916: CARL BRITTON (40) MINOR LEAGUE PITCHER....................UNKNOWN

1916: EDDIE HOHNHURST (31)....................Gun

1918: NED EGAN (?) (MANAGER MILWAUKEE: AMERICAN ASSOCIATION)....................Gun

1918: PATSY TEBEAU (43)....................SHOT HIMSELF

1920: LOU MEYERS (60)....................STRYCHNINE

1921: NOEL BRUCE (56) MINOR LEAGUER....................Gun

1921: CLAY DAILEY (?) MINOR LEAGUER....................Gun (AFTER BEING CUT FROM THE LOUISVILLE TEAM)

1921: ART IRWIN (63)....................JUMPED FROM A STEAMER INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN

1924: WALT GOLDSBY (52)....................Gun

1924: JOHN WAKEFIELD (?) MINOR LEAGUER....................UNKNOWN (AFTER AN ARGUMENT WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND)

1927: DRUMMOND BROWN (41)....................Gun

1927: BILL GANNON (50)....................DROWNING

1927: DANNY SHAY (51)....................UNKNOWN

1927: JAKE WELLS (63)....................UNKNOWN

1929: TONY BROTTEM (37)....................Gun

1929: JIM PRICE (60) SPORTS WRITER....................Gun

1930: JOE LANNIN (60) FORMER RED SOX OWNER....................JUMPED OUT A WINDOW

1930: JOHN B. SHERIDAN (61) SPORTS WRITER....................HANGED HIMSELF

1930: ZEKE ROSEBRAUGH (59)....................Gun

1931: CON LUCID (57)....................UNKNOWN

1931: CARL SITTON (48)....................Gun

1932: BILL GREY (61)....................Gun

1934: PEA RIDGE DAY (34)....................SLIT HIS THROAT WITH A HUNTING KNIFE AFTER AN OPERATION FAILED TO RESTORE HIS PITCHING ARM

1934: GUY MORRISON (38)....................Gun

1934: CHARLIE DEXTER (57)....................Gun

1934: SY SANBORN (67) SPORTS WRITER....................Gun

1935: WALT KUHN (51)...................Gun

1937: EMMET McCANN (35)....................Gun

1937: BENNY FREY (31)....................CARBON MONOXIDE

1940: WILLARD HERSHBERGER (30)....................SLASHED HIS THROAT

1940: CHARLIE HOLLOCHER (44)....................Gun (SHOT HIMSELF IN THE THROAT)

1941: RALPH WORKS (43)....................Gun

1941: HARVEY HENDRICK (43)....................Gun

1942: LYLE BIGBEE (48)....................Gun

1943: CHET CHADBOURNE (58)....................Gun

1945: BOB GANDY (51)....................Gun

1945: HARRY McNEAL (66)....................Gun

1945: HANK EIBEL (51)....................Gun

1945: MORRIE RATH (58)....................Gun

1947: FERDIE MOORE (51)....................Gun

1947: LUKE STUART (55)....................Gun

1948: JAKE POWELL (40)....................SHOT HIMSELF IN A POLICE STATION

1948: BERT HALL (59)....................HANGING

1949: TIM BOWDEN (58)....................Gun

1950: JOHN MORRISON ALLEN (29) (SHORTSTOP: PORTSMOUTH / OHIO-INDIAN LEAGUE)...................UNKNOWN

1950: WATTIE HOLM (48)....................SHOT HIMSELF AFTER KILLING HIS WIFE

1950: FRANK PEARCE (45)....................Gun

1951: HUGH CASEY (37)....................SHOTGun BLAST TO THE NECK

1951: WALLY ROETTGER (49)....................RAZOR

1954: SKEETER SHELTON (65)....................Gun

1955: JIM OGLESBY (50)....................SHOTGun

1956: LIMB McKENRY (68)....................Gun

1957: FRED ANDERSON (71)....................SHOTGun

1960: GIB BRACK (47)....................Gun

1961: JOHN MOHARDT (63)....................CUT HIS FEMORAL ARTERY

1961: GEORGE DAVIS (71)....................HANGING

1962: FRED BRATSCHI (70)....................DRANK BATTERY ACID

1962: OTTO MILLER (72)....................JUMPED

1962: CY MORGAN (83).....................RAZOR

1963: JOHNNY NIGGELING (60)....................HANGING

1964: PAUL ZAHNISER (68)....................Gun

1965: STAN PITULA (34)....................CARBON MONOXIDE

1966: LEW MOREN (83)....................SLIT HIS THROAT

1967: ART GARIBALDI (60)....................Gun

1969: EMIL KUSH (53)....................CARBON MONOXIDE

1971: MURRAY WALL (45)....................Gun

1972: DEL BISSONETTE (72)....................Gun

1975: DON WILSON (29)....................CARBON MONOXIDE

1980: DAN THOMAS (29)....................HUNG HIMSELF IN JAIL AFTER BEING CHARGED WITH RAPE

1989: VIRGIL STALLCUP (67)....................Gun

1989: CARLOS BERNIER (62)....................HANGING

1989: TONY LUCADELLO (?) BASEBALL SCOUT....................Gunshot Wound To The Head

1989: DONNIE MOORE (35)....................Gun (AFTER SHOOTING HIS WIFE FIRST)

1989: MIKE REINBACH (39)....................DROVE HIS CAR OVER A CLIFF

1990: CHARLIE SHOEMAKER (51)....................Gun

1991: JIM MAGNUSON (44)....................ALCOHOL POISONING

1995: RON LUCIANO (57) FORMER AMERICAN LEAGUE UMP....................CARBON MONOXIDE

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Posted By: T E

Didn't Delahanty die chasing a train across a bridge over a river, plunging to a watery and no doubt painful death? Maybe not quite suicide, but close...

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Posted By: Turner Engle

here is the full article on Delahanty. I guess he had a little too much to drink.

http://www.niagarafallsreporter.com/delahanty.html

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Posted By: prewarsports

The Chick Stahl story is really intriguing. He supposedly was having an affair with a woman who was threatening to go to the press and so he comitted suicide by drinking acid. He excused himself from a dinner party at his house and then went upstairs and did the deed while the rest of the group continued with the party.

Also, for the record, Dan McGann most likely was murdered.

Arthur Irwin is THE Best (if you can tactfully say that) suicide story. He kept a wife and family in two cities for years and years with no suspicion. One day the stress got to him and he threw himself off a boat. It got a bit odd when two wives and two full sets of children showed up at the funeral.

Another thing to remember is that A LOT of early ballplayers had all sorts of venerial diseases which eventually affected the brain as well. Others like Marty Bergen would be able to be treated with medication today. The off-the-field lives of early baseball players is often much more interesting than the study of their on-field performances.