Suicide in the major leagues.

Abstract

date and place unknown. Of those deceased, 64 (1.0%) are suicides, a percentage which is less than the expected percentage of deaths in males due to suicide (1.9% for 1980 deaths in the USA). Of the 64 suicides, 50% used guns, 22% poisons/overdoses, 8% unknown methods, 8% cutting, 5% jumping, 3% hanging, and 2% drowning. Only one player (Willard Hershberger) killed himself during the baseball season in which he was playing, seven killed themselves within one year of the last season they played, three within two years of that date, and six within three years. Of the 12 (out of 17) for whom obituaries were available from newspapers, five of these suicides appeared to be baseball-related: Wiard Hershberger was depressed over his performance, Marty Bergin had broken his hip in a close play at home plate which ended his career, Tony Brottem was depressed after his release from a minor league club, Pea Ridge Day was depressed after an operation failed to restore his pitching arm, and Benny Frey had just retired rather than face being sent to the minor leagues. Interestingly, two of these five had parents who also committed suicide (Hershberger's father and Day's mother). Over-all it appears that suicide is less common than expected among major league baseball players.