An Ex-Phillies Pitcher Dies in a Plane Crash—Again

Yet another former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher has died in a plane crash, People reports. Tyson Brummett, 35, died Friday morning along with a small plane's three passengers when it spiraled out of the sky in American Fork Canyon near Salt Lake City, authorities say. The passengers are identified as Brummett's 35-year-old friend, Alex Ruegner, and Ruegner's aunt and uncle, Elaine (60) and Douglas Blackhurst (62). NBC Sports reports that Brummett pitched for the Phillies system from 2007-12, racking up 110 innings at triple-A, and had one major-league mound visit in which he struck out two batters.

Friends and family are mourning Brummett's death online, with former MLB player Cody Decker tweeting that "Tyson was an incredible baseball player. An unbelievable teammate. And an even better person. I am proud to have even known him, let alone call him a friend." Two other former Phillies pitchers have died while piloting a plane, both in the last 15 years: Hall of Famer Roy Halladay plunged his two-seater into the Gulf of Mexico in 2017 and Cory Lidle died after his small aircraft slammed into a Manhattan high-rise in 2006. (More plane crash stories.)