Oriole Pitching Prospect Dies

Steve Bechler, a Baltimore Oriole pitching prospect who made his major league debut five months ago at Camden Yards, died Monday morning of multi-system organ failure caused by heatstroke. He was 23.

Bechler was taken to North Ridge Medical Center toward the end of Sunday’s spring training workout after becoming pale and disoriented on one of the back fields of the Orioles’ complex. He was trying to complete his final conditioning run. His body temperature later peaked at 108 degrees, a team physician said.

The initial diagnosis, announced by the team Sunday, was heat exhaustion and dehydration, but Bechler’s condition worsened at the hospital, club officials said, and he spent the night in intensive care. Bechler was pronounced dead at 10:10 a.m. EST Monday. Twenty minutes later, players were summoned off the practice fields and into the clubhouse, where Executive Vice President Jim Beattie told them of Bechler’s death. The rest of the team’s workout was canceled.

“They told us about the situation, and everybody was in shock,” said pitcher Rodrigo Lopez. “It’s hard to think that you saw him Monday. After they told us, you don’t know how to react. He’s part of the family, part of the team. It’s sad.”

Bechler was chosen by the Orioles in the third round of the 1998 draft from South Medford High in Oregon. He spent most of last season at triple-A Rochester, but made three relief appearances with the Orioles as a September call-up. He was 35-48 with a 3.82 earned-run average in the minors, and probably would have begun this season with the organization’s new triple-A affiliate in Ottawa.

“Steve was a tough guy. He was a competitor,” Oriole Manager Mike Hargrove said. “I didn’t know him that well, but I knew him well enough to know he loved the game, he loved to compete. Obviously, he has a baby coming in April, and he sure loved his wife and was looking forward to that baby.”

Bechler’s wife, Kiley, is 7 1/2 months pregnant with their first child.

Oriole team physician William Goldiner said that, to his knowledge, Bechler was the first professional baseball player to die of heatstroke. Heat-related deaths are more common in football. According to the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, three football players died of heatstroke in 2001, one of them Minnesota Viking offensive tackle Korey Stringer.

Bechler passed Thursday’s 20-minute physical, but he arrived in camp heavier than his listed weight of 239. Two club sources said a bottle of dietary supplements, featuring the drug ephedrine, was found in Bechler’s locker and given to paramedics who treated him in the clubhouse.

Joshua Perper, the Broward County medical examiner, will perform an autopsy today. The Orioles declined to comment on Bechler’s medical history, including whether he had asthma or used ephedrine. The drug was banned by the NFL after Stringer’s death. Major League Baseball has not banned ephedrine.

“I can’t tell much right now,” Perper said. “I have to find out his medical history and what actually happened. I’ve asked for any medication and supplements he might have been taking.”

Goldiner, who stayed with Bechler at the hospital, said, “Can weight-loss drugs contribute to heatstroke as a generality? The answer to that is yes. They interfere with the body’s ability to get rid of heat.

“The policy in our training room is, we do not have [ephedrine] there, we do not supply it and we don’t condone it. I can’t tell somebody they can’t take something that is legal. I can advise him not to take it. I can advise him as to the dangers of taking it, but I can’t stop him from taking it.

“We certainly had no evidence from the physical exam that he was taking ephedrine.”

Beattie said he didn’t know whether Bechler used ephedrine, “but whatever’s in his room, we’re certainly going to cooperate with the investigation fully so if anything does show up, then they would have that information, if not now then at a later date.”

Goldiner said electrocardiograms were routinely given during physicals every five years. Bechler had one, which came up normal, in 1999.

Bechler remained conscious while being treated at the ballpark, and Goldiner said the pitcher didn’t lapse into a coma at the hospital.

“My understanding was, he was responsive on the field, he was responsive in the clubhouse and the emergency room staff said he was responsive when he was there in a less-than-productive way,” Goldiner said. “He was exceedingly short of breath and soon after that he was placed on respiratory support and sedated. He was not conscious that I know of after that point.”

Temperatures on Sunday rose to 81 degrees, with 70% humidity, as pitchers and catchers went through the nearly three-hour workout.

Hargrove pulled Bechler off the field Saturday because he was struggling to complete the final run. The next day, Hargrove summoned assistant trainer Brian Ebel when Bechler became pale, and the pitcher was taken to the clubhouse.

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Baseball Deaths

Monday’s death of Oriole pitcher Steve Bechler is the latest in a string of recent tragic incidents involving baseball players:

STEVE BECHLER: Baltimore pitcher, died Feb. 17, 2003 at age 23.

Why: Suffered multi-system organ failure from heatstroke after a workout on Sunday. His body temperature hit 108 degrees.

RANDY BURDEN: Angel minor league pitcher, died Dec. 6, 2002 at age 23.

Why: Suffered heart failure while sleeping.

DARRYL KILE: St. Louis pitcher, died June 2, 2002 at age 33.

Why: Found in his hotel room, apparently having died from an 80% to 90% blockage in his arteries.

MIKE DARR: San Diego outfielder, died Feb. 15, 2002 at age 25.

Why: Legally drunk when he was involved in a rollover accident hours before the start of spring training.

GERIK BAXTER: San Diego minor league pitcher, died on July 29, 2001 at age 21.

Why: Killed when a rear tire on his pickup blew out, causing the truck to swerve into another car and roll several times.

MARK HILDE: Third baseman drafted by Oakland, died July 29, 2001 at age 18.

Why: Passenger in auto accident with Baxter.

JOHN LEROY: Atlanta/Tampa Bay minor league pitcher, died June 25, 2001 at age 26.

Why: On June 22 he suffered what became a fatal brain aneurysm. He died three days later.

BRIAN COLE: N.Y. Mets minor league outfielder, died March 31, 2001 at age 22.

Why: Driving home from spring training, Cole’s car was hit head-on by another vehicle near the Florida-Alabama border and he was killed almost instantly.

KEN ROBINSON: Toronto/Kansas City pitcher, died Feb. 28, 1999 at age 29.

Why: Suffered fatal head injuries when a car driven by fellow minor leaguer John Rosengren careened off a road and overturned. Rosengren was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the alcohol-related accident.

DOUG MILLION: Colorado minor league pitcher, died Sept. 24, 1997 at age 21.

Why: Suffered a severe asthma attack in Mesa, Ariz., where he was taking part in the instructional league.

RANDY DONISTHORPE: Cincinnati minor league pitcher, died March 20, 1997 at age 23.

Why: Suffered seizure while sleeping.

MIKE SHARPERSON: San Diego outfielder, died May 26, 1996 at age 34.

Why: Involved in a one-car accident on a rain-slicked freeway while returning from Las Vegas. Having been called up to the Padres that day, he was to fly to Montreal a few hours later.

-- Roy Jurgens