Sad news coming from the Netherlands Monday morning as Seattle Mariners outfielder Greg Halman has been killed, reportedly stabbed to death by his brother.
According to the Associated Press, “Rotterdam Police spokeswoman Patricia Wessels said police were called to a home in the port city in the early hours of the morning and found the 24-year-old Dutch player bleeding from a stab wound. The officers and ambulance paramedics were unable to resuscitate Halman.”
Wessels said Halman’s 22-year-old brother was arrested but did not release his name, in accordance with Dutch privacy laws. Although publicly stating the brother of the victim is the suspect pretty much narrows it down.
Halman’s death comes on the same day that Mariners-great Ken Griffey Jr. turned 42 years old.
As a rookie in 2011 Halman played all three outfield positions and hit .230 in 35 games with the Mariners before being optioned to Triple-A Tacoma and, “returning home to the Netherlands to prepare for a shot at earning a full-time job in Seattle’s outfield,” according to the Mariners website.
The AP reports that Halman was in Europe participating in the European Big League Tour where players held baseball clinics for kids. The tour was organized by Baltimore Orioles pitcher Rick Van den Hurk who is also dutch.
Here are some tweets from the baseball community:
(Mariners Outfielder Casper Wells) @UpstateBaller: Good men must die, but death cannot kill their names ~proverb. I won’t forget you brother. Rest in peace Greg.
(Mariners First Baseman Mike Carp) @CarpusMaximus20: Hard to process such a tragedy. Thoughts and prayers are with the Halman and Mariners Family Right now. You’ll be missed Brother Love You
(Mariners Pitcher David Aardsma) @TheDA53: Greg everyday would try to teach me something new in dutch. It was fun everyday trying to figure out what he was saying.
(Diamondbacks pitcher Jarrod Parker) @JarrodBParker: R.I.P. Greg Halman speechless after hearing about this… Condolences to family and friends
(Mariners Third Baseman Matt Mangini) @Mangini_Matt: RT @ashleymroth: There was a rainbow this morning beyond Left Field at Cheney Stadium. RIP Greg Halman. http://t.co/kUU93ul
(Fox Sports writer and broadcaster Jon Morosi) @jonmorosi: Stunned today by the death of Greg Halman at age 24. Such tragic news. He was a great ambassador for baseball in Europe. #Mariners
Click here for the Seattle Mariners official press release on the death of Greg Halman: http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111121&content_id=26015348&vkey=news_sea&c_id=sea
Click here for an interesting look at how Halman played a crucial role in the emergence of Dutch baseball: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111121&content_id=26017014&vkey=news_sea&c_id=sea&partnerId=rss_sea&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
