MLB: Mike Flanagan's Life Should Be Celebrated Rather Than Have Death Speculated

Let's just start by saying that Mike Flanagan was a class act.

When news traveled through the internet on Wednesday night about the sudden and tragic death of former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Mike Flanagan, speculation was rampant as to the cause of death.

Sure enough, when Baltimore County police announced on Thursday that Flanagan's death was the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the speculation and rumors once again started flying.

Flanagan, who won a Cy Young Award for the Orioles in 1979 and helped guide them to a World Series victory in 1983, later served as the team's vice president of baseball operations, and essentially acted as a co-general manager along with Jim Duquette.

Several have intimated that Flanagan was despondent due to his failure to turn around the Orioles' fortunes on the baseball field. The Orioles have not fielded a winning team since making the playoffs in 1997.

Other have said that Flanagan was still very upset about being replaced as general manager by Andy MacPhail.

The truth is, no one will ever know why Flanagan is no longer with us, therefore all the rumors and speculation serve absolutely no purpose whatsoever.

Suffice it to say that Flanagan served the Orioles with honor and distinction, as a player, as a pitching coach, as an executive and as a broadcaster.

Flanagan is certainly not alone in his efforts to try and build the Orioles into a contending team over the past 14 years, and it's completely unfair to think that he should shoulder any or all of the responsibility for the Orioles' failings.

The ONLY thing that people should be talking about in terms of Mike Flanagan is that he epitomized the term "The Oriole Way."

That is how Mike Flanagan's life should be remembered and celebrated.

Doug Mead is a featured columnist with Bleacher Report. His work has been featured on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, SF Gate, CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Times and the Houston Chronicle. Follow Doug on Twitter, @Sports_A_Holic.