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The sudden passing of former major league pitcher Scott Sauerbeck in February came as a shock to many. The former Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland A's and Cleveland Indians pitcher was only 53 at the time of his death.
A new report from TMZ.com, which obtained the autopsy from the District 12 Medical Examiner's Office in Florida, revealed his cause of death.
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Sauerbeck was determined to have died from "sequela of acute influenza A, including streptococcal pharyngitis," with hypertensive heart disease as a contributory factor. His manner of death was natural, and a toxicology report came back clean of any substances.
Sauerbeck still holds the Pirates' single-season record for most games pitched by a left-hander in franchise history.
The Pirates family mourns the passing of Scott Sauerbeck.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) February 20, 2025
Scott played for the Bucs from 1999-2003 and shares the club record for most games pitched by a LHP in one season.
Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/fS160TnfHV
Before reaching the major leagues, Sauerbeck attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He was a standout pitcher for the RedHawks, earning him a 23rd-round selection in the 1994 draft by the New York Mets.
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Pittsburgh took Sauerbeck in the Dec. 1998 Rule 5 draft, paving the way for him to make his major league debut the following year. As a rookie in 1999, Sauerbeck went 4-1 with a 2.00 ERA in 65 games out of the Pirates' bullpen and recorded two saves.
Over the next three seasons, Sauerbeck established himself as one of the more prolific southpaws in the National League as a left-handed relief specialist. The Cincinnati native was 3-4 with a 4.05 ERA (109 ERA+) in July 2003 when the Pirates traded him to the Red Sox along with Mike Gonzalez for Brandon Lyon and Anastacio Martinez.
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Sauerbeck made 26 appearances while pitching to a 6.48 ERA for Boston, which won 95 games and lost to the Yankees in the American League Championship Series — their first postseason appearance since 1999.
In the only playoff game of his career, Sauerbeck faced three batters for the Red Sox in Game 2 of the ALCS. It did not go well: he faced three batters, retired one, and allowed a two-run double to Jorge Posada in the Yankees' 6-2 victory.
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Sauerbeck missed all of the 2004 season recovering from surgery for a torn labrum and punctured rotator cuff. He bounced around in free agency over the next few seasons, making 82 major league appearances with Cleveland (2005-06) and Oakland (2006), which proved to be the last of his career.
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About the writer
J.P. Hoornstra writes and edits Major League Baseball content. A veteran of 20 years of sports coverage for daily newspapers ... Read more