John Cerutti, 44; TV Announcer, Former Pitcher for Blue Jays

John Cerutti, 44, a former pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays who became a television announcer for the team, was found dead Sunday morning in his Toronto hotel room. The Blue Jays said in a statement that Cerutti apparently died of natural causes.

Police and emergency medical workers were sent to the room after Cerutti failed to appear at an 11 a.m. production meeting in preparation for broadcast of the season finale against the New York Yankees. He had played golf Saturday in Toronto with relatives.

A native of Albany, N.Y., Cerutti was Toronto’s first-round pick in the 1981 draft. He made his major league debut with the Blue Jays in 1985.

The left-hander spent six seasons with Toronto and signed with Detroit as a free agent after the 1990 season, pitching one season for the Tigers. He finished with a 49-43 career record.