Justin Miller Dies, Former MLB Pitcher Found Dead

Former MLB pitcher Justin Miller has died at the age of 35, but the circumstances under which he died have not been disclosed.

The death of Justin Miller was reported yesterday, and he was found dead at around 10:30 PM Wednesday night, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.

Police have not confirmed anything about Miller’s death, including the location of the body when it was discovered.

Wife of 15 years Jessica Miller said her husband’s death was “sudden,” and she explains that the man she called a “homebody” was a fantastic father to the pair’s two sons.

Miller said of her spouse:

“He was gifted at putting things in a language that kids could understand. That was something he was really proud of … I think he’d want the world to know that he always did his best at work and at being a dad. He always tried.”

Justin Miller leaves behind two sons, Johnnie, 7, and Joseph, 18.

NBC Sports reports on Miller’s career before he left baseball in 2010, noting that he was plagued by injury issues:

“Miller spent parts of seven seasons between 2002-10 in the Majors, with the Blue Jays, Marlins, Giants, and Dodgers. He battled injury problems throughout his career, undergoing surgery on both his shoulder and elbow and worked his way back every time.”

TampaBay.com adds:

“Miller was perhaps best known for his heavily tattooed arms. In 2004, Major League Baseball required him to wear long sleeves on the mound after opposing hitters complained that the colorful tattoos distracted them at the plate. The requirement became known as the ‘Justin Miller Rule.’ ”

Justin Miller’s death was confirmed on Friday, and if a cause has been determined, it has not yet been made public by police.