High School Pitcher Stephen Gant Dies, Apparent Suicide

The big news in prospect circles today is the death of high school pitcher Stephen Gant, who apparently committed suicide. A Vanderbilt signee, the right-hander from Parsons, Tennessee, was rated as a potential early pick for the June draft. The news of this came out a couple of days ago but has been slow to disseminate.

Why would a young man with his entire life ahead of him choose to end it?

The only person who can really answer that is Stephen, and there is a good chance that he didn't know himself. Severe depression and a myriad of other psychological or even physical issues can lead to poisoned, self-destructive thinking. It doesn't always matter what the objective facts of life are: it is the subjective experience inside the human mind that can drive the soul to despair. The pit can seem bottomless, and sometimes people can't see a way out. I have been there myself.

Gant was a good prospect, but what-might-have-beens don't strike me as appropriate now. Beyond any baseball consideration, this is a great tragedy for his friends, loved ones, and family. May they eventually find some peace.