Hanson, former Atlanta Braves pitcher, died of drug overdose

By David Beasley ATLANTA (Reuters) – Cocaine and alcohol killed former Atlanta Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson last month, a Georgia coroner said on Friday, finding that an accidental overdose caused the death of ‘an athlete once considered one of baseball’s most promising pitchers. Hanson, 29, was discovered unresponsive at his home in suburban Atlanta on November 9. He fell into a coma, suffered organ failure and died later that night, authorities said. The 6-foot-6-inch (1.98-meter) athlete, whose career was derailed by shoulder injuries, died of “late complications from cocaine and alcohol toxicity” , Coweta County Coroner Richard Hawk said. The death was ruled accidental. Hanson pitched four seasons with the Braves, finishing third in the 2009 National League Rookie of the Year voting. After suffering shoulder injuries, he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in 2012 and signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants this year. (Editing by Letitia Stein and James Dalgleish)