Orioles pitcher Sammy Stewart, who helped team win 1983 World Series, dead at 63
Former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Sammy Stewart, who was a member of the 1983 team that won the World Series, has died. He was 63.
The cause of Stewart’s death is not known at this time. He was found at his home Friday night. Police are aware Stewart battled drug addition, but told the Baltimore Sun they would wait for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Stewart spent 10 years in the majors, eight of which came with the Orioles. He alternated between starting and relieving over his career. Stewart’s final season in the majors came with the Cleveland Indians in 1987. He retired with a career 3.59 ERA over 956 2/3 innings.
Stewart wound up playing a significant role in the Orioles’ World Series win in 1983. In the postseason that year, Stewart appeared in five games, posting a 0.00 ERA over 9 1/3 innings.
Following his playing career, Stewart battled drug addiction. He spent six years, and eight months, in prison, and was released in 2013. Stewart had been working as a baseball instructor until last April.
It’s believed the death of Stewart’s son may have contributed to his dependency on drugs. Stewart’s son Colin died of cystic fibrosis in 1991. He later lost his daughter to cystic fibrosis in 2016.
The Orioles released a brief statement regarding Stewart’s death on Twitter on Saturday.
We mourn the loss of former Oriole Sammy Stewart. Our thoughts are with his family. pic.twitter.com/5VVGsMWwbM
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) March 3, 2018
Stewart is survived by his second wife and two sons.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
