Ex-O’s pitcher Stewart died of heart disease, autopsy says
Former Orioles pitcher Sammy Stewart died from hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to an autopsy report released Monday by the Henderson County, N.C., medical examiner.
Stewart, an affable North Carolinian who pitched for the Orioles from 1978 to 1985, died in March at age 63.
The report said Stewart was found decomposing on his bed after not being seen for one to two weeks. A pathologist found evidence of head trauma, possibly from a reported altercation in January, but the report said the trauma “did not compress the brain and did not contribute to the cause of death.”
Stewart had long struggled with addiction, and a postmortem toxicology screen found ethanol in his urine and brain tissue, suggesting alcohol use. The test found no cocaine or opiates in his system.
His death came 35 years after he delivered five scoreless relief appearances for the Orioles during the 1983 postseason, which culminated with the club’s most recent world championship. Even as his teammates remembered that season fondly, they mourned the loss of their friend, who had watched two children die from cystic fibrosis.
“It’s just a sad, sad situation,” pitcher Mike Boddicker said in March upon hearing of Stewart’s death.
“Sammy had a lot of trials and tribulations in his life, and Sammy had a really great heart.”