Anthony Varvaro, a former pitcher who became a police officer, dies in car crash
Anthony Varvaro, a former Major League Baseball pitcher who retired from the Boston Red Sox in 2016 to become a police officer in the New York City area, was killed in a car accident Sunday morning on his way to work at the Sept. 11 memorial ceremony in Manhattan, according to police officials and his former teams.
Mr. Varvaro, 37, was an officer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He played baseball at St. John’s University in New York City before a six-year career in the majors as a relief pitcher with the Seattle Mariners, Atlanta Braves, and the Sox.
“We are deeply saddened on the passing of former Braves pitcher Anthony Varvaro,” the Braves said in a statement.
St. John’s head baseball coach Mike Hampton said he was “at a loss for words” over Mr. Varvaro’s death.
“Not only was he everything you could want out of a ball player, he was everything you could want in a person,” said Hampton, who was an assistant coach at St. John’s during all three of Mr. Varvaro’s seasons there. “My heart goes out to his family, friends, teammates, and fellow officers.”
Port Authority officials issued a statement to the media.
“On this solemn occasion as the Port Authority mourns the loss of 84 employees in the attacks on the World Trade Center — including 37 members of the Port Authority Police Department — our grief only deepens today with the passing of Officer Varvaro,” the statement said.
Mr. Varvaro, a ground ball specialist, had his best years with the Braves in 2013 and 2014. Over 128 innings in those seasons, he allowed 114 hits, struck out 93, and walked only 38.
He was traded to the Sox in the off-season for minor league reliever Aaron Kurcz and cash.
Mr. Varvaro, however, would only appear in nine games with the Sox in 2015, beset by a balky elbow.
