SEATTLE — Anthony Varvaro, a former pitcher for the Braves, died in an auto accident Sunday, according to the team. He was 37.
Varvaro, a Port Authority police officer, was on his way to serve at the World Trade Center Command in commemoration of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks when the accident happened.
Varvaro played for the Braves for four seasons and played parts of six seasons in the major leagues. In 2016, he voluntarily retired from MLB to become a police officer.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and colleagues,” the Braves said in a tweet.
In a 2016 interview with The Torch, which is the student newspaper at St. John’s, where Varvaro went to school, Varvaro said this of changing careers: “I kind of felt like my body was breaking down a bit, I felt like my career may have been coming to an end. I probably could have played a little longer, but that’s when an opportunity with the Port Authority Police Department arrived.”
He later added this about being in a new industry: “I’m really just a normal guy, I’ve always considered myself a blue collar worker. I’m just like the rest of the guys. I’m just a guy with a talent, that’s all.”
