When he was on the baseball field, Ryan Freel was unafraid to fling his body, and his head, into plays -- diving after balls and crashing into outfield walls. That fearlessness earned the undersized Freel a spot in the big leagues, as well as a raft of concussions. Now, nearly a year after his death, Freel has the distinction of being the first Major League Baseball player to be diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), according to researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine. "The real important issue is that he hit his head multiple times -- small hits, big hits, in baseball and outside of baseball," said Robert Stern, co-founder of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at BU.
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MLB says it's working with experts to prevent concussions and head injuries
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Ryan Freel's family says knowing he had CTE "provides some solace" after his suicide
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Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is believed to be a result of repetitive brain trauma
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The disease is associated with memory loss, erratic behavior, aggression and paranoia
"@placeholder is just as dangerous" as other sports and, she added, affords players less protection.
These types of problems -- which are echoed in other @placeholder cases -- raise questions about how big a role the disease plays in suicides among players, and how things like pre-existing mental health problems, or post-career adjustment issues, influence the cause of death.