Tom Urbani, a former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Detroit Tigers, died on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, at the age of 54. His family has chosen to keep his cause of death private, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel[^1^][2].
A Baseball Dream Come True
Urbani was born in Santa Cruz, California, on January 21, 1968. He had a passion for baseball since he was a child and wrote down his goal of becoming a professional baseball player when he was a student at DeLaveaga Elementary. He was a star player at Harbor High School, Cabrillo College, and Long Beach State University, where he was part of the “original Dirtbags” team that reached the 1989 College World Series.
Urbani was drafted four times by different MLB teams before signing with the Cardinals in 1990. He made his MLB debut in 1993 and pitched for the Cardinals until 1996, when he was traded to the Tigers. He also played for Rimini BBC in the Italian Baseball League in 1999. In his four-year MLB career, he had a 10-17 record with a 4.98 ERA and 149 strikeouts.
A Loving Husband, Father, and Coach
After retiring from professional baseball, Urbani returned to Santa Cruz County, where he coached at Scotts Valley and Harbor high schools. He later moved to the Folsom area, where he continued to coach youth baseball. He was also an avid fisherman who loved spending time in the Sierra Mountains with his family.
Urbani is survived by his wife, Lisa, and their son, Cody, as well as his parents, siblings, and other relatives. His family plans to hold a memorial service in the near future. He will be remembered as a loving husband, father, and coach, as well as a talented pitcher who fulfilled his baseball dream.
