Family Demands Answers After Baseball Pitcher Dies From ‘Routine’ Surgery, GoFundMe Created

June 22, 2021

A grieving family is seeking answers over the death of a college baseball player from

Routine surgery turns tragic: George Mason University Patriots pitcher Sang Ho Baek, 20, died due to complications from a “Tommy John” surgery (ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction) on June 12 at a TidalHealth medical facility in Salisbury, Md., The New York Times reported.

The procedure, which repairs a torn ligament inside the elbow, is considered “relatively routine for baseball players,” according to the dean of Boston University’s School of Public Health, Sandro Galea.
Baek underwent surgery on June 8 but reportedly suffered a blood clot while in recovery days later, TMZ reported.
“Our family is devastated and we want answers to why our healthy son would die so suddenly after routine surgery,” Baek’s father, Seong Han, said.

Gone too soon: Baek, who made his college debut on March 12, had recently completed his freshman season with the Patriots.

The pitcher appeared in seven games for the Patriots, according to the team’s website.
Senior outfielder Scott Morgan said that Baek needed surgery because he “had been battling injuries throughout the season.”
The team’s head coach, Bill Brown, said that Baek was “an incredible teammate who was loved by everyone associated with Mason baseball.”
“He will be missed and forever cherished in our hearts. Right now, our thoughts are with Sang’s family at this unbearably difficult time,” Brown continued.

Morgan has set up a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to support Baek’s family. As of this writing, the campaign has raised over $26,000 of its $44,000 goal.

Featured Image via George Mason University Athletics

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