Mike Flanagan's death an apparent suicide

It's awful enough to find out that former Orioles great Mike Flanagan has passed away, which was reported last night. But it's an entirely different level of sadness, though, to read this morning that he may have taken his own life.

Here's a snippet from the WBAL story:

Police did not immediately identify the cause of death, but sources confirmed that Flanagan took his own life "despondent over what he considered a false perception from a community he loved of his role in the team's prolonged failure," [WBAL-TV 11 Sports Director Gerry] Sandusky said.

The soft-spoken and well-liked left-hander grew over the years into a fixture in the Orioles organization. From 2002-08 Flanagan shared or held the top baseball executive position in the organization. During that time Flanagan, according to those closest to him, struggled with not being able to the job the way he wanted to do it, Sandusky said.

The Orioles obviously meant the world to Flanagan, but for him to end his life over the current state of the team and how some perceive his role in the team's failures? I just hope that's not the case.

Flanagan was a true Orioles legend, and the countless stories written these next few days will reflect what he meant to the Orioles, but more importantly to his family and friends.