When former A’s pitcher Bob Welch passed away on June 9, the cause of death was not immediately known.
The Orange County Coroner's office has ruled the cause of death to be an accident from a fall in his bathroom, according to a San Jose Mercury News report.
Welch reportedly died from a cervical spine fracture "with epidural hemorrhage due to hyperextension of neck," according to an autopsy report.
Welch passed away in Seal Beach, where he lived.
The news jolted many throughout the major leagues and especially hit home inside the A’s organization.
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"This is a sad day for the entire A's organization,” said A’s general manager Billy Beane, a teammate of Welch’s in 1989. “Those of us who knew Bob as a teammate and a friend will miss him greatly. My condolences go out to his family.”
Welch, who went 211-146 in 17 major league seasons, spent his first 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers but joined the A’s in 1988 and became a key figure in one of the greatest runs in franchise history.
“We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Bob Welch,” A’s president Michael Crowley said. “He was a legendary pitcher who enjoyed many of his best seasons with the Oakland A’s. He will always be a significant part of our franchise’s history, and we mourn his loss. We send our greatest sympathies to his family and friends.”
[RATTO: Welch's legacy will live on in death]
Welch won 27 games in a Cy Young season with Oakland in 1990. He was 57 years old.
