Loud music may have led to Greg Halman slay

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - Police say an argument about loud music could be the reason Seattle Mariners outfielder Greg Halman was stabbed to death.

Police spokeswoman Patricia Wessels tells The Associated Press that loud music "appears to be the reason the victim walked downstairs," but police are still trying to piece together what happened after that.

Police say they are still interviewing the brother of Halman as a suspect in the death of the 24-year-old Dutch baseball player, who was killed in the early hours of Monday morning at an apartment in Rotterdam.

Police officers in front of a house in Rotterdam where Halman was found bleeding from a stab wound, Monday, Nov. 21, 2011.

(Credit: AP Photo/Bas Czerwinski)

Halman hit .230 in 35 games and made starts at all three outfield positions for the Mariners in 2011 before being optioned to Triple-A Tacoma.

Mariners outfielder Halman stabbed to death

Born in the city of Haarlem, Halman began his playing career in the Dutch Pro League, and was was part of the gold medal-winning Dutch squad at the 2007 European Championship. He also played for the Netherlands at the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Because he played professionally in the United States, Halman was not part of the Netherlands team that won the Baseball World Cup in Panama last month. The Dutch beat Cuba 2-1, becoming the first European team to win the title.

Former major leaguer Robert Eenhorn, the technical director of the Dutch baseball association, said he was devastated by the news.

"The only thing I can say right now is we are deeply shocked," Eenhorn, who played for the New York Yankees and Anaheim Angels in the 1990s, told the AP. "All our thoughts are with his family and how they are going to have to deal with this tremendous loss."

Halman was in Europe earlier this month as part of the European Big League Tour, an initiative organized by Baltimore Orioles pitcher Rick Van den Hurk in which major league stars gave clinics to children. Van den Hurk is also Dutch.

Massimo Fochi, the vice president of the Italian baseball federation, said he met Halman less than two weeks ago at a European Big League Tour event in Parma.

"He was a great guy and the most appreciated by the kids," Fochi said. "His passing away is really painful."

[piercetheval]

This was the year I didn't watch Baseball. I guess the beating of that S.F. Giants fan by thugs in L.A. did it for me.
So, I never heard of this guy. I do find it rather ironic that of obvious African ancestry [whole or part] that he was born in a city in the Netherlands so named Haarlem.
Also, I do have to thank C.B.S. for posting this story if for no other reason that I hadn't heard about the Dutch winning the 2011 W.B.C. and was the first of any European nation to do so. I would've had my money on the English or the Italians with Spain as a Dark Horse. I figured that if anyone was ever going to do it for Europe it would've have to been the blokes that invented the original version of the game.
I pray this isn't committing too grave a 'Faux Pas" in disrespect to the late Mr. Halman but I want to take advantage of the opportunity here, as I wish to nominate C.B.S. for the "'Ass-toot' Observation of the Year" Award for their outstanding journalistic investigative prowess that has been demonstrated in this article exemplified in the epiphanic line from the story...and I quote: " Van den Hurk is also Dutch."

...Duh...gee...do ya THINK?

[Hosheen]

What is sad is that so many people have become so arrogant and inconsiderate that they think they can play music and party as loudly and as long as they please. That they might be disturbing others or making them unhappy or uncomfortable doesn't matter a bit. They are the ones that should be killed.

[jade84116]

People are increasingly thinking that it's okay to kill for no good reason as religion and morality decays in America. That's no coincidence.

[No_Absolutes]

This didn't happen in America, it happened in the Netherlands.

[Hosheen]

Religion has been used as a reason to kill people more than any other excuse. If there were no religion, everything would be much better for the world.

[gingerlulu]

Killed by his BROTHER!!!!! I hope his brother rots in prison for life--but, I'm betting the murdering brother will beat this rap. Such a shame. His brother!!!

[baseball-fan]

Really? Who cares about something so trivial as a word of passing or murdered!!!! It is a sad day for baseball, we lost someone that was appreciated!!! Mr. Fochi is being sensitive to the matter by choosing a word which doesn't sound harsh to readers and former teammates. We knew what happened and its very sad and tragic. Come on really!!!!!! Something so simple, Greg is no longer here and you focus on that.

[longtree-2009]

fochi is wrong. he didn't pass away, he was murdered. isn't passing away usually meant to mean of natural causes? stabbed, murdered, over loud music? what the h is wrong with people these days?