MLB Pitcher Loek Van Mil Dies From ‘Fatal Incident’ At Age 34
Jul. 30 2019, Published 11:25 a.m. ET
Loek van Mil, known as the tallest professional baseball player, has died.
KNBSB confirmed the news, saying that he passed this Sunday, July 28, “as a result of a fatal incident.”
“Van Mil had a long and successful baseball career in which he played in the Dutch big league for HCAW and Curaçao Neptunus,” KNBSB wrote. “The pitcher played as a pro in America for the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Angels and in Japan for Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.”
No further details of his death have been revealed.
“The KNBSB is very grateful to Mil for what he has done in his career for Dutch baseball and wishes the surviving relatives strength to cope with this major loss,” the organization added in their statement.
The 7’1″ Dutch MLB pitcher’s death comes less than a year after he was nearly killed in a hiking accident.
In December of 2018, van Mil hit his head on the rocks during a hike in Brisbane, and was rushed to an Australian hospital with a brain bleed and multiple fractures. He reportedly lay unconscious on the ground for 24 hours before a hiker found him. The athlete announced his retirement following the tragic accident.
Van Mil’s death comes weeks after Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher Tyler Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room at age 27, and over one month since Boston Red Sox icon David Ortiz was shot in the back during a Dominican Republic trip with friends.
On Twitter and Instagram, van Mil’s fans, friends, and loved ones, are continuing to mourn his death.