Former New York Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu was found dead at his Los Angeles home Thursday, and suicide is suspected, Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported.
The death of the 42-year-old Irabu was also reported by TMZ, which cited law enforcement sources
Irabu, a star pitcher in his native Japan, arrived in the Bronx with much fanfare in 1997, after signing a four-year, $12 million deal with the Yankees.
The San Diego Padres initially purchased Irabu's rights, but the right-hander said he would only move to Major League Baseball to play for the Yankees. The Padres and Yankees eventually agreed on a trade to send Irabu to New York.
Irabu struggled at times during his three seasons in New York, though he was a member of the Yankees' World Series-winning teams in 1998 and 1999.
Late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner famously called Irabu a "fat toad," though he later apologized for the outburst. The insult was triggered by Irabu's failure to cover first base during an exhibition game in 1999.
