Angels pitcher Skaggs dies suddenly at 27

the Mets, and I follow the local team here, the Tigers. But my God, they're so bad. They really are down, they don't have any relief pitching. And I see that the Mets don't have a lot of pitching either.

DN: You said you were with your wife when you found out Saturday. What was her reaction?

JG: “Are you kidding me?” The thing that was really funny was my oldest daughter. She was upset. She called the Mets, called them everything she could think of, said that's my dad, he's still alive.

It was an experience. It brought to light — I think it's gonna help some of these guys that never did get the ring like Amos Otis. Maybe they will do something. Maybe they won't, I'm not gonna hold my breath.”

DN: What was it like emotionally to see that your death had been announced?

JG: It was a shock. I'm thinking, “Jesus, I'm hurtin', two new knees and a new hip, but physically, I'm fine.” Knock on wood, I haven't had any serious illness. I don't know where they got this stuff from.

It set me back. It got me to thinkin'. I never got an invite to go up there, which is fine, I probably wouldn't have went anyway. I'm not that excited about getting on a plane any more and flying around. Just the fact that they recognized you, but recognized you as a dead person — that's not the way you want to be thought of.

It's over the dam now. I don't hold any grudge against them. I could care less. It was funny, but it was shocking. I'm over it now, I had a couple of drinks. I was happy to just relax.

But so many nice people have contacted me, that have come on and ripped the Mets. I can't thank my friends enough for at least looking out for me.

I just hang out with my animals, I got seven animals and my wife. Three dogs and four cats, all of which were rescues, and they're like my kids. I have four girls and a boy, and they're all in town.

DN: You said you had a few drinks yesterday. What were you drinking?

JG: Crown Royal. A little Crown Royal. I toasted my life. I'm happy, and content, and that's all that matters to me. ARLINGTON, Texas — Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died Monday at the age of 27, stunning Major League Baseball and leading to the postponement of the team's game against the Texas Rangers.

Skaggs was with the team in Texas when he was found unresponsive in his hotel room, police said . He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said they were investigating, but no foul play was suspected.

Skaggs was “an important part of the Angels Family,” the team said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Carli, and his entire family during this devastating time.”

Skaggs, who would have turned 28 on July 13, had been a regular in the Angels' starting rotation since late 2016, when he returned from Tommy John surgery. He struggled with injuries repeatedly over the past three seasons but persevered to become a valuable starter in Los Angeles' injuryplagued rotation.

The left-hander had just pitched on Saturday, allowing two runs in 4 1/3 innings in a 4-0 loss to Oakland. He was scheduled to start the series finale at Texas, on the Fourth of Julyday.

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said he was “deeply saddened” by Skaggs' death.

“We will support the Angels' organization through this most difficult period, and we will make a variety of resources available to Tyler's teammates and other members of the baseball family,” Manfred said in a statement.

Skaggs is the first Angels player to die in-season since Nick Adenhart was killed by a drunken driver 10 years ago. The 22-year-old rookie right-hander was coming off his first start of the 2009 season, his fourth career game in the big leagues.

Jose Fernandez, a two-time All-Star pitcher for the Miami Marlins, was killed in boating crash near Miami Beach, Florida, in September 2016.

Pitcher Darryl Kile, who played in the majors for 12 seasons (1992-2002) was on the road with the St. Louis Cardinals when he died in June 2002 in his Chicago hotel room.