dpFormer MLB catcher Rich Rowland has died at age 62, his son Robby announced.
No date or cause of death was shared.
“Pops, my hero man. My best friend & my role model.. Thank you,” Robby Rowland wrote in an Instagram post. “Words simply cannot express.. and if they could I wouldn’t know which ones to use..I just feel so dang blessed to have had the best frickin dad a kid could ask for! I love you, pops.”
Rich Rowland played six seasons in MLB from 1990-95, including four with the Detroit Tigers and two with the Boston Red Sox. He was drafted by the Tigers out of Mendocino College in California in the 17th round of the 1988 MLB Draft.
Primarily a backup catcher, Rowland appeared in 98 games over six seasons with the Tigers and Red Sox. He batted .213 with nine home runs and a .646 OPS in 230 at-bats. He played in a career-high 46 games with Boston in 1994, when he hit all nine of his career home runs in 118 at-bats.
Rowland’s last MLB appearance was with Boston against the Cleveland Indians on June 19, 1995.
Robby Rowland, a right-handed pitcher, was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third round of the 2010 MLB Draft.
Rich’s elder son, Richie, a first baseman and catcher, was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 40th round in 2007 and later signed with Arizona in 2010.
