The baseball world is mourning the death of former MLB catcher Rich Rowland, who played for both the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox.
Rowland died at age 62, according to an emotional tribute shared by his son, Robby Rowland.
A cause of death has not been publicly announced.
Robby described his father as his “hero, best friend and role model” in a heartfelt Instagram post.
“Thank you. Words simply cannot express,” he wrote, adding that he felt “so dang blessed” to have had “the best frickin dad a kid could ask for.”
Tributes quickly poured in from fans who remembered Rowland both for his baseball career and for the impact he had on those around him.
One commenter recalled watching him play football, basketball and baseball at Cloverdale High School before following his career with the Tigers and Red Sox.
Another wrote that Rowland would “always be a legend” to those who knew him.
Born in California, Rowland made his Major League Baseball debut with the Detroit Tigers in September 1990.
He spent four seasons with Detroit before being traded to the Boston Red Sox just before the start of the 1994 season in exchange for catcher John Flaherty.
Rowland appeared in 46 games for Boston that year, recording 27 hits and nine home runs in 118 at-bats.
He returned the following season but saw limited action, appearing in 14 games before playing his final major league game in June 1995.
He was later sent to the Pawtucket Red Sox in the minor leagues.
Baseball also became a family tradition.
Robby Rowland went on to have a professional career of his own, pitching for eight seasons in the minor leagues and another five seasons in the Frontier League before building a large following online.
After stepping away from baseball, Rich Rowland worked in the timber industry and developed a passion for woodworking, particularly with redwood, according to the Society for American Baseball Research.
He is now being remembered not only for his years in professional baseball, but also as a beloved father whose son called him the best dad he could have asked for.