Former Oakland A’s outfielder Jeremy Giambi played six seasons in Major League Baseball.
A freak baseball injury may have led to the suicide of former baseball player Jeremy Giambi.
A new medical examiner’s report obtained by TMZ suggests Giambi’s behavior changed dramatically after he was hit in the head with a baseball last August while working as a pitching coach.
Giambi, 47, suffered a fractured zygomatic bone and required surgery.
During his recovery, witnesses told investigators that Giambi’s personality changed after the injury and that he became “very emotional, very negative and let the smallest things ruin his day.”
another witness described him as “very emotional, depressed and paranoid.”
Despite having scans done and seeing a neurologist, Giambi was not diagnosed with anything, according to the report. He did have a history of drug use, but lab results showed he had no alcohol or drugs in his system when he died. Giambi was found dead at his mother’s home in Claremont, California, on February 9. The coroner’s report listed the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the chest. according to USAToday. Giambi played in the major leagues for four teams between 1998 and 2003, two of those seasons with his older brother, Jason Giambi.
He was portrayed by actor Nick Porazzo in the 2011 Brad Pitt film “Moneyball.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 to get the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741-741 for free, 24-Hour Crisis Text Line Support. Outside the US, please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.