Jeff Reardon (baseball, relief pitcher) - Tries to Rob Jewelry Store

[Aristotle]

What a weird story.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2272046


PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Jeff Reardon, one of the top relief pitchers in history, blamed medication for depression after his arrest for a jewelry store robbery.

Police said Tuesday that the 50-year-old Reardon, retired since 1994 and sixth in career saves, walked into Hamilton Jewelers at the Gardens Mall on Monday and handed an employee a note saying he had a gun and the store was being robbed.

Reardon, who starred with the Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox, fled the store with $170 in cash.

Police found him at a nearby restaurant, recovered the stolen money and arrested him on armed robbery charges.

Lt. David O'Neill said Reardon did not have a gun and offered no resistance when he was handcuffed.

"He said it was the medication that made him do it and that he was sorry,'' O'Neill said.

According to the arrest report, Reardon told police: "I am taking medication and am sorry for what happened ... I completely lost my mind and tried to rob (a) jewelry store. I flipped on my medications and didn't realize what I was doing."

O'Neill said Reardon has lived in the city for more than 20 years and has never caused any problems.

Reardon's attorney, Mitchell Beers, said Reardon had no prior criminal record and that he was released on $5,000 bond after a brief court appearance on Tuesday.

A judge ordered Reardon to undergo a mental health evaluation. Beers said that would happen within seven days.

Beers told ESPN.com's Michael Fish that Reardon is also required to stay in his house unless he's going to visit his doctor or his attorney.

Beers also said that Reardon had taken antidepressants since his youngest son's death in February 2004 at the age of 20. "Since then, it has been mentally very draining for him," Beers told ESPN.com

Reardon also underwent a heart angioplasty last week and has been taking medication for that condition.

Ok, normally I call bullshit when a celebrity or athlete has a weird excuse for committing a crime. But in this instance, there are some circumstances that make me lean towards believing him:

1) He did not actually have a gun.
2) His son tragically died in Feb 2004, and I bet it really hits hard during the Christmas season.
3) He has been on anti-depressants since then. People really need to more fully understand how potent these types of medication really are.
4) He just had a major surgery!
5) They found him in a nearby restaurant.
6) Perhaps most importantly:

Reardon, who made more than $11.5 million in his career, according to baseball-reference.com, was not having any known financial problems, O'Neill said.

If no other facts come to light, I hope it is possible to get this guy some help, hit him with a ton of community service, and then let it stop there.

[Darion]

Really strange and extreme things do happen when a person gets whacked out on antidepressants.

I have a lot of sympathy for the guy for having lost his kid.