Former Texas Rangers outfielder and MLB journeyman Darryl Hamilton has died, the victim of an apparent murder-suicide, according to police in the Houston suburb of Pearland.
KPRC-TV in Houston reports Hamilton, 50, was found dead in the foyer of a home on the 11500 block of Island Breeze Street and that a woman, identified as 44-year-old Monica Jordan, was found in another part of the home.
Police Lt. Patrick Savage said it appears Jordan shot Hamilton multiple times before turning the gun on herself.
Police said the couple are the parents of a 14-month-old baby who was inside the home at the time of the shooting and was not harmed. The child is now in the custody of Child Protective Services, KPRC reports.
"What we know at this point is that at about 4:45 p.m. we did receive a 911 call from a third party who was not on scene," police said. "When the officers arrived they did find a deceased male and a deceased female inside. At this point there's no indication that there was a struggle and there was a firearm involved."
Hamilton played 13 years in the majors, including a short stint with the Rangers in 1996 when they made their first playoff appearance.
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The Texas Rangers issued the following statement on Hamilton's passing:
"The Rangers are shocked and saddened to hear of Darryl Hamilton’s untimely passing. Darryl played just one season for Texas, but it was a memorable year. Signed as a free agent in December 1995, Darryl was the leadoff hitter and centerfielder for the first playoff team in franchise history in 1996. He was not only an offensive catalyst and defensive standout on the field but also was a club leader and an outstanding teammate. In later years, Darryl was a welcome guest to Arlington in his roles with Major League Baseball. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends as his passing is a tremendous loss.”
Hamilton spent most of his professional career with the Brewers before retiring after two seasons with the Mets where he was a standout on the 2000 World Series team. According to MLB.com, Hamilton batted .291 with 1,333 hits, 707 runs scored and 454 RBI in his 13-year career.
"He was not only an offensive catalyst and defensive standout on the field but also was a club leader and an outstanding teammate," said the team, which planned a moment of silence before Tuesday night's home game against Oakland.
Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said the team was stunned by the tragedy, "something that is impossible for us to even begin to comprehend."
"Darryl was a wonderful player for our organization, but more importantly, he was a true gentleman and a great friend to many here," said Melvin, who was with Texas during Hamilton's lone season with the Rangers.
Since ending his playing days, Hamilton has been working as an analyst for the MLB Network.
"All of us at Major League Baseball are shocked and saddened by this tragedy," Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "He was a talented and personable individual, and we were proud to call him a member of the baseball family. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest sympathies to Darryl's family and his many friends throughout our game."
The investigation into the murder-suicide is ongoing.
The Rangers will observe a moment of silence in the memory of Darryl Hamilton prior to Tuesday night’s game with the Oakland A’s at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Mets said they plan to hold a moment of silence before Friday night's home game to honor both Hamilton and Nelson Doubleday Jr., their former owner who died last week at the age of 81.
