Former Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Scott Sauerbeck has died at the age of 53, the team announced on Thursday.
While the Pirates did not provide details on his passing, Pittsburgh Baseball Now reports that Sauerbeck suffered a fatal heart attack in his Florida home on Tuesday. He leaves behind a wife and two children.
‘The Pirates family mourns the passing of Scott Sauerbeck,’ the team wrote on X.
‘Scott played for the Bucs from 1999-2003 and shares the club record for most games pitched by a LHP in one season. Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time.’
Sauerbeck, who reportedly referred to himself as ‘the curveball flipping freak’, was a native of Cincinnati and starred collegiately at Miami of Ohio.
He was selected by the New York Mets in the 23rd round of the 1994 MLB amateur draft from Miami and made his debut five years later with the Pirates, with whom he posted a 19-15 record with five saves and a 3.56 ERA in 341 career games.
Former Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Scott Sauerbeck has died at 53 after a heart attack
Sauerbeck played for the Pirates, Red Sox and A’s after being drafted in 1994 by the Mets
The pitcher was traded to the Boston Red Sox during the 2003 season before continuing his career with the Cleveland franchise (2005-06) and Oakland Athletics (2016).
He was 20-17 with five saves and a 3.82 ERA in 471 career relief appearances.
After being cut by the A’s in October 2006, Sauerbeck never featured in the major leagues again.
He attempted to make a comeback after signing for the Reds again in 2008, only to fail to play a single game for them before departing.
The Ohio native still holds the Pirates record for games played by a pitcher in a single season after appearing 78 times in the 2002 season.
After hanging up his glove in 2008, Sauerbeck continued to live in Bradenton – site of the Pirates’ spring training home.
