He played for Boston 1987-'92, Texas 1995, Seattle 1996-'98
Seattle Mariners catcher John Marzano loses his helmet as he begins a fight with New York Yankees' Paul O'Neill (21) during a baseball game in Seattle in this Aug. 28, 1996 file photo. Police say Marzano was found dead at his home in Philadelphia on Saturday, April 19, 2008. The cause was not immediately clear. (AP Photo/Loren Callahan, File)
Coroner: Intoxication Contributed To Marzano Death
PHILADELPHIA (AP) Former major leaguer and baseball commentator John Marzano was intoxicated when he fell down the stairs and died in his home, the medical examiner's office said Thursday.
The cause of Marzano's death was determined as "postural asphyxia contributed to by blunt trauma and ethanol intoxication," said Jeff Moran, spokesman for the medical examiner's office.
Moran said he could not elaborate.
Marzano, known as "Johnny Marz," died in April at the age of 45. He was from Philadelphia and had been working for Major League Baseball's Web site, where he co-hosted a show on weekday mornings.
Before joining MLB's Web site, Marzano was a baseball analyst on Comcast SportsNet for the station's Philadelphia Phillies postgame shows. He had also appeared regularly on WIP-AM, a sports radio station.
A graduate of Temple University, Marzano earned a spot as a catcher on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team that included future major league stars Mark McGwire, Barry Larkin and Will Clark. He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox with the 14th overall pick in the first round of the 1984 amateur draft.
Marzano played 10 seasons in the big leagues for the Red Sox, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners before retiring in 1998. He also played in the minors for the Phillies and the Cleveland Indians.
Marzano is survived by his wife, Terri, daughters Dominique and Danielle, and two grandchildren.
