RED SOX CATCHER RICH ROWLAND DIES AT 62

Rich Rowland, a former catcher for the Boston Red Sox, has died at the age of 62. His son, Robby Rowland, announced his father's death through social media posts in which he described him as "my hero man. My best friend & my role model." Robby wrote that he felt "so dang blessed to have had the best frickin dad a kid could ask for."

Rowland was born on 25 February 1964 in Cloverdale, California, and played 98 games in Major League Baseball. Before his professional career, he attended Cloverdale Secondary school, where he competed in football, basketball and baseball. As a secondary school athlete, Rowland earned all-North Central League honours as a junior in baseball and was selected as an all-conference quarterback in both his junior and senior years in American football. He also received all-conference honours in basketball in his junior and senior years. His parents were Garnet Richard Rowland and Annette Reisbeck.

Rowland's son emphasised in his tribute that his father's legacy extended well beyond his time in professional baseball. The baseball community acknowledged Rowland's passing, with Robby sharing photographs and memories from their time together spanning more than two decades. No cause of death was disclosed.