Former Angels pitcher Tommy Hanson’s death caused by ‘illicit drug use,’ coroner says

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Tommy Hanson died Nov. 9 from “delayed complications of cocaine and alcohol toxicity,” the Coweta County, Ga., coroner’s office said Friday.

Coroner Richard Hawk called the death accidental.

Hanson, who spent the first four years of his career with the Atlanta Braves before pitching his last season with the Angels in 2013, was hospitalized the morning of Nov. 8 while having difficulty breathing.

He was said to have suffered catastrophic organ failure and later slipped into a coma, according to multiple reports. Hanson died the next day. He was 29.

According to Hawk, Hanson’s death was caused by “illicit drug use,” specifically cocaine.