Passed away at the age of 37 on January 7.
The sudden death of the former pitcher who played for both the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs was announced by the Orioles, where he was a player from 2009 to 2016, in a heartfelt statement on social media.
The cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.
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Brian was an institution at our clubhouse from 2009 to 2016, fondly regarded by all of Birdland, and his enthusiasm for baseball and our community was unparalleled.
The statement added: “He spent his time nurturing a strong bond with his fans, was a highly valued member of his team, and always had a warm smile on his face. Our thoughts and prayers are with Brian’s family and loved ones during this tough time.”
We’re deeply saddened by the recent news of the passing of Brian Matusz, a former Major League Baseball pitcher.
Matusz, the fourth top pick in the 2008 Major League Baseball draft, was with the Orioles for most of his eight-year professional career. One of his first games in the majors, on August 4, 2009, ended in his first win, with only one run allowed over five innings.
Throughout his career, Matusz pitched in 280 regular season games, with 69 of those being starts. He played on the Orioles during the postseason in 2012 and 2014, joining them seven times. In 2016, while with the Cubs, he last appeared in a Major League game at age 37.
Brian was drafted in the fourth round of the 2005 MLB draft by the Los Angeles Angels, but he chose to attend the University of San Diego on a baseball scholarship for three years.
Finishing his college career, he earned the West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year title in 2008. He was also twice a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award and held the school record for strikeouts with 396. Additionally, he was a finalist for the Roger Clemens Award, which recognizes the nation’s top college baseball pitcher.
In 2007, he earned a silver medal as a pitcher for the U.S. team at the Rio de Janeiro Pan American Games.
After spending time with the Orioles, Brian was dealt from the team to the Atlanta Braves in 2016, but was cut by the Braves just a week later. He went on to join the Cubs, where he spent most of the year in the Minor Leagues, with only one final start in the big leagues at the conclusion of July, as MLB reports.
He later pitched in the minor leagues for the AAA Reno team in the D-backs’ organization in 2017, then made a one-game start in the Mexican League and nine more appearances with the independent Long Island Ducks in 2019, before ultimately retiring.
