Former Oriole Kevin Hickey dead at age 56

I can't believe that I'm passing along news concerning the death of another former Oriole. One-time left-handed reliever Kevin Hickey died Wednesday at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, according to this report. He had been in intensive care following his transfer from a Dallas hospital last month. The cause of death has not been disclosed. Hickey spent the last three of his six major league seasons with the Orioles, beginning with the "Why Not?" season of 1989, when he posted a 2.92 ERA in 51 games. The Orioles signed him as a free agent in December 1987, released him in April 1991, re-signed him six days later and released him again in July 1991. Hickey's daughter, Sarah, lives in Ellicott City and always attends opening day at Camden Yards. Hickey served as a White Sox pregame instructor. He was found unresponsive in his Texas hotel room on April 5 after he didn't show up to the team's morning workout the day before its opener against the Rangers. Hickey was a fascinating story because he never played high school baseball. He received a tryout from his hometown White Sox after a successful run as a softball player. "Kevin Hickey was the ultimate long-shot, the classic underdog," former White Sox and Orioles general manager Roland Hemond, who signed Hickey in 1978, said in a statement. "You couldn't help but root for him. Kevin did the absolute most with every single opportunity he received and earned every bit of his success." The Orioles' family lost former outfielder Danny Clyburn and former reliever Terry Mathews earlier this year. Kevin, this one's for you: