Phoenix police found cocaine and drug paraphernalia in the home of former All-Star pitcher Rod Beck following his sudden death in June, they said yesterday. Officials found "large quantities of powder, crack, and rock cocaine," the Arizona Republic reports. Though the medical examiner has not released the official cause of death, Beck's assistant said he used cocaine daily.
"Rodney had a disease of addiction, and it stole him away," Beck's widow said yesterday. Beck, who pitched for the Giants, Padres and Chicago Cubs, among other teams, was a boisterous personality who sometimes partied with fans. In recent years, though, he championed charities, including an AIDS organization. Beck, who played his final game in '04, was 38. (More MLB stories.)