BALTIMORE — The Baltimore community is mourning the loss of former Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz, a player who was known for making memories both on and off the mound.
"He's an incredible human who always made time for everybody. I mean, he was that guy who waited and made sure that every kid who was standing there there got an autograph," Casey Baynes said.
The team announced on Tuesday that Matusz died at just 37 years old.
"He was a staple on those teams when the Orioles finally figured out how to make the playoffs it was exciting that he was still a part of it," Life-long O's fan Ryan Blake said. "People aren't supposed to die this young."
Blake worked on the tarp team one season where he got close to the players in the bullpen, including Matusz.
"They were playing a song over the loud speaker and I think I was setting up chairs or something, and I started singing along to that song. And he caught me and joined me and we sang a little duet for the couple of the other guys in the bullpen," Blake recalled.
It's a special moment he's never forgotten.
"He's a professional athlete, I'm a 17-year-old kid he didn't have to be nice to me, but he was and that's what sticks with me the most," he said.
Former team members also shared their condolences on X:
Baynes, who is the founder of the Casey Cares Foundation, says she was excited when Matusz was first drafted to the team not knowing how important he'd become to their mission.
"It's hard to think about Casey Cares without Brian Matusz. He's been such a big part of our organization for the past 15 years and his love and support of our mission has been so inspiring," she said.
Matusz joined in 2009 and was serving as a board member, even after he left Baltimore for Chicago.
"After his very first win, the next day he celebrated that win by visiting the hospital and coming and standing by the bedside of critically ill children and their families who needed a little pick me up," Baynes said. "Brian was there early that morning before he needed to be at the field to make sure these kids felt special."
The Foundation is preparing to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Baynes says they plan to honor Matusz' contributions then.
Matusz's cause of death has not been released.
