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HIDEKI IRABU: 1969-2011 -- The pitcher was billed as the Japanese Nolan Ryan when he came to the Bronx in 1997 and by the time he was done in Major League Baseball the label Yankees owner George Steinbrenner attached to him was what fans remembered: 'Fat p---y toad.' The troubled pitcher -- he was arrested on drinking-related charges several times after he retired -- was found dead in his California home in July, his death ruled a suicide by the authorities. Irabu never lived up to the hype (or his four-year, $12.8 million contract) after coming to the States. He was criticized for being out of shape -- he would smoke cigarettes while placing magnets on his body, believing they improved blood circulation -- and was dealt to the Expos in after the 1999 season. Irabu was 42 when he died.