MIAMI - Ryan Freel, a former Major League Baseball player known for his fearless play but whose career was cut short after eight seasons by a series of head and other injuries, was found dead Saturday in Jacksonville, Fla., according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
Freel, who was 36, died of what appeared to be a self-inflicted shotgun wound, a sheriff's office spokesman wrote in an email Sunday. The medical examiner will make the final determination of the cause of death.
"RIP Ryan Freel!! Great teammate, great guy,n loved his family!" former Cincinnati Reds teammate Sean Casey tweeted. "Such a sad day today with his passing!Awful news!Prayers are with his family!"
The speedy Freel spent six of his eight big league seasons with the Reds and finished his career in 2009 with a .268 average and 143 steals.
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The Jacksonville native thrilled fans with his all-out style, yet it took a toll on his career. During his playing days, he once estimated he had sustained up to 10 concussions. Freel missed 30 games in 2007 after a collision with a teammate caused a concussion.
Soccer
Manchester United ties; Chelsea moves up
LONDON - Premier League leader Manchester United dropped points in the title race with a 1-1 tie at Swansea on Sunday, and third-place Chelsea routed Aston Villa 8-0 with an attacking master class.
Patrice Evra put visiting United ahead in the 16th minute when he headed Robin Van Persie's corner kick past goalkeeper Michel Vorm. But Michu tied the score in the 29th on a tap-in. United (14-3-1) had won five straight league games. Defending champion Manchester City (11-1-6) is four points back.
Chelsea (9-3-5), reviving since Rafa Benitez took over as manager last month, moved up to third as seven players scored against American goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
• In Paris, Andre Ayew scored on a header in first-half stoppage time and Marseille beat Saint-Etienne 1-0 at home to head into the winter break tied with leader Paris Saint-Germain and second-place Lyon.
MISCELLANEOUS
British paper sues Armstrong
LONDON - Lance Armstrong is being sued for more than $1.5 million by a British newspaper over the settlement of a libel action, which followed doping allegations against the cyclist that it published.
The Sunday Times, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., paid Armstrong about $485,000 in 2006 to settle a case after it reprinted claims from a book in 2004 that he took performance-enhancing drugs. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency concluded this year that Armstrong led a massive doping program on his teams.
• In San Candido, Italy, world champion Kelsey Serwa of Canada won her first ski cross race since returning from an injury, ending Swiss rival Fanny Smith's run of three straight victories to open the season. In the men's final, Switzerland's Alex Fiva got his first win this season.
