John Cerutti, 44, pitcher for Blue Jays, TV analyst
John Cerutti, a former Amherst College star who pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays before becoming the team's color commentator on television, was found dead yesterday in his Skydome hotel room in Toronto. He was 44.
Foul play was not suspected, the Blue Jays said in a statement, but no cause of death was released.
Mr. Cerutti was scheduled to attend an 11 a.m. production meeting in preparation for the broadcast of the season finale against the New York Yankees. He had played golf Saturday in Toronto with family members.
"It was an unbelievable shock," Blue Jays president Paul Godfrey said. "It goes to show how unimportant wins and losses are at a time like this."
Mr. Cerutti, a native of Albany, N.Y., was the top hurler for Amherst in the early 1980s, leading the team to No. 1 rankings for Division 3 New England teams in 1980 and 1981. During his collegiate career, he played with teammates Dan Duquette, a backup first baseman who would become Red Sox general manager, and Dave Jauss, who would become a Red Sox coach.
Toronto made Mr. Cerutti a first-round draft pick in 1981. He made his Major League debut with the Blue Jays in 1985.
The left-hander spent six seasons with Toronto. He was the winning pitcher in the Jays' first victory in their new SkyDome on June 7, 1989, which was also his best year. He was an 11-11 starter with a 3.07 ERA then and helped lead the team to the division title. The Jays lost to the Oakland A's in the AL championship.
Mr. Cerutti signed with the Detroit Tigers as a free agent after the 1990 season, pitching one season for the Tigers. The following spring, he signed a minor-league contract with the Boston Red Sox but was one of the last players cut from the team before the season opener.
Mr. Cerutti finished with a 49-43 career record and 3.94 ERA.
He began his Blue Jays broadcasting career in 1997 as a color commentator for CBC. He spent the past three seasons as lead analyst for Rogers Sportsnet.
"He had three loves. He loved baseball. He loved golf and he loved his family," said Rick Briggs-Jude, the vice president of programming at Sportsnet.
In the off-season, Mr. Cerutti lived in Oldsmar, Fla. An outstanding golfer, he once tried to qualify for the US Open.
He leaves his wife, Claudia; a son, Daniel; and two daughters, Nicole and Janine.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this obituary.
