First Major League Baseball player diagnosed with CTE

When he was on the baseball field, Ryan Freel was unafraid to fling his body, and his head, into plays — diving after balls and crashing into outfield walls.

Now, nearly a year after his death, Freel has the distinction of being the first Major League Baseball player to be diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), according to researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine.

Testing of his brain tissue after death — the only way to definitively diagnose CTE — found that he had Stage 2 CTE, which is associated with erratic behavior and memory loss.

But Freel’s case suggests that professional baseball, a somewhat punishing sport in its own right, may have a growing concussion problem.

“I think people don’t realize that baseball players get hurt as much as they do,” said Freel’s mother, Norma Vargas.

“Major League Baseball’s thoughts remain with Ryan Freel’s family, friends and all those he touched throughout his life,” the league said.

Suspicions that he could have CTE began percolating among family and friends after Freel killed himself a year ago.

These types of problems — which are echoed in other CTE cases — raise questions about how big a role the disease plays in suicides among players, and how things like pre-existing mental health problems, or post-career adjustment issues, influence the cause of death.

Among the football players who showed signs of the disease and took their own lives are former Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Andre Waters, who shot himself in 2006; Terry Long, a former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman who killed himself by drinking antifreeze; and Junior Seau, the former linebacker who killed himself last year at the age of 43.

Because of limited data, and a study population that is skewed toward people exposed to repetitive brain trauma, scientists — including BU researchers — caution against over-interpreting case studies like Freel’s.