Former MLB star Sam McDowell, who inspired Ted Danson’s character Sam Malone on Cheers, has died at 84, according to KDKA. The starting pitcher played for the Cleveland Indians for over a decade and was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2006. He went on to play for the San Francisco Giants, the New York Yankees, and his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates for a total of 15 seasons in the majors—leading the American League in strikeouts in five of them. “Sam’s impact on baseball went well beyond his playing career,” local Pittsburgh sports host Bob Pompeani wrote on X, quoting McDowell’s son. “He spent many years helping other players dealing with addiction and became an important source of support for people throughout the baseball community.” McDowell struggled with alcoholism as a player, but went to rehab for his addiction upon retiring. He later studied sports psychology and addiction at the University of Pittsburgh and returned to baseball as an addiction counselor. He served on the Toronto Blue Jays’ support staff in 1993 when the team won the World Series—a feat he never accomplished as a player.
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