ATLANTA, Ga. (AP) – Anthony Varvaro, a former Main League Baseball pitcher who retired in 2016 to grow to be a police officer within the New York Metropolis space, was killed in a automobile crash Sunday morning on his method to work on the Sept. 11 memorial ceremony in Manhattan, in keeping with police officers and his former groups.

Varvaro, 37, was an officer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He performed baseball at St. John’s College in New York Metropolis earlier than a profession within the majors as a aid pitcher with the Seattle Mariners, Atlanta Braves and Boston Purple Sox from 2010 to 2015.

“We’re deeply saddened by the passing of former Braves pitcher Anthony Varvaro,” the Braves mentioned in a press release. “Our ideas and prayers are along with his household and colleagues.”

The crash occurred Sunday morning in New Jersey. Messages in search of particulars concerning the crash had been left with New Jersey state police.

St. John’s head baseball coach Mike Hampton mentioned he was “puzzled” over Varvaro’s dying.

“Not solely was he every part you may need out of a ball participant, he was every part you may need in an individual,” mentioned Hampton, who was an assistant coach at St. John’s throughout all three of Varvaro’s seasons there. “My coronary heart goes out to his household, associates, teammates and fellow officers.”

Port Authority officers mentioned in a press release that Varvaro “represented the easiest of this company, and can be remembered for his braveness and dedication to service.”

“On this solemn event because the Port Authority mourns the lack of 84 workers within the assaults on the World Commerce Heart — together with 37 members of the Port Authority Police Division — our grief solely deepens right now with the passing of Officer Varvaro,” mentioned the assertion by Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole and Govt Director Rick Cotton.

Raised in Staten Island in New York Metropolis, Varvaro was drafted by Seattle within the twelfth spherical in 2005. He performed for the Mariners in 2010 and Atlanta from 2011 to 2014.

Varvaro was traded to the Purple Sox in late 2014 and pitched 11 innings for Boston early within the 2015 season. In Might 2015, the Chicago Cubs claimed him off waivers from Boston however returned him to the Purple Sox after testing confirmed he had an elbow harm in his proper pitching arm, which resulted in season-ending surgical procedure.

For his main league profession, he pitched 183 innings in 166 video games, compiling a 3.23 earned run common, 150 strikeouts and one save.

In 2016, he appeared in 18 video games for Boston’s high minor league affiliate earlier than retiring in June and starting his police coaching.

Varvaro, who studied legal justice at St. John’s and graduated in 2005, advised the coed newspaper, The Torch, in December 2016 that he inquired about police jobs on the Port Authority whereas pitching within the majors.

“I figured that I had a fairly profitable profession in baseball, I had performed plenty of seasons, and I used to be superb shifting on to the subsequent step of my life,” he advised the newspaper.

Port Authority officers mentioned Varvaro turned a police officer in December 2016 and was assigned to patrol for almost 5 years earlier than transferring to the Port Authority Police Academy to grow to be an teacher.

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