Brian Wolfe, Former Blue Jays Pitcher, Dies at 45

Former Toronto Blue Jays reliever Brian Wolfe passed away unexpectedly on September 15 at age 45, his wife Rachell announced via social media after describing a difficult and torturous battle. A Fullerton native drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1999, Wolfe spent six years in their minor league system before being traded to Toronto in January 2006 for Corey Koskie. He made his major league debut on May 30, 2007, appearing a career-high 38 times that season with a 2.98 ERA. Over three seasons (2007-2009), Wolfe recorded five wins and five losses in 72 appearances across the bullpen before becoming a free agent. He subsequently enjoyed nine successful years in Japanese professional baseball, playing for teams including Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, and Saitama Seibu Lions where he won two Japan Series championships.