ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Rays bullpen catcher Jean Ramirez died by suicide, documents from the Tarrant County medical examiner's reveal.
The 28-year-old, who spent his entire career with the Rays organization, was in Texas at the time of his death.
Ramirez was originally drafted by the team in the 28th round of the 2016 draft and played in the organization's minor league system for three seasons. He was released in 2018 before receiving an invitation to join the team as a bullpen catcher in 2019.
In response to his cause of death, the Tampa Bay Rays released a statement from Ramirez's family:
"The loss of our son has been the most excruciating experience we have lived. Unfortunately, we sometimes don’t see the signs. Struggling in silence is not OK. It is our commitment to honor our son’s life by helping other families. No parent should have to endure the loss of their child. We are very grateful to the Tampa Bay Rays organization, whom we consider our family, for their love and support. Our son felt loved by all of you. Thank you to our family, friends and everyone else far and near for the outpouring of love and support. God bless you! Rays Up in Heaven."
An often-overlooked role by baseball fans, as bullpen catcher, Ramirez was responsible for warming up the arms of the Rays' best pitchers before they took the mound.
In 2020, when the team competed in the World Series at Globe Life Field, Ramirez was just 30 minutes from his hometown of Saginaw. His parents, grandmother, brother and area friends were all in attendance.
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis is urged to reach out for help. You can contact the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay at 211 or call 911. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.