ATL Standard

Former Atlanta Braves pitcher turned New York City police officer Anthony Varvaro is being mourned after being killed in a car accident while on his way to work at the Sept. 11 memorial ceremony in Manhattan. 

In a social media statement following the incident, the Braves said the 37-year-old former pitcher played parts of six seasons in the major league, including four in Atlanta, before voluntarily retiring in 2016.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of former Braves pitcher Anthony Varvaro," the Braves wrote in a Sept. 11 tweet. "....Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and colleagues."

According to a recent report by FOX 5 Atlanta, Varvaro was an officer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, after beginning his career at St. John's University. He later embarked on a five-year major league career that included time with four teams and 166 big league appearances across five major league seasons. 

After patrolling for five years as an officer, Varvaro transferred to the Port Authority Police Academy to become an instructor, the report states.

Raised in Staten Island, Varvaro studied criminal justice at St. John’s University and graduated in 2005. In December 2016, he told the student newspaper that he began inquiring about police jobs at the Port Authority while still pitching in the majors, FOX 5 reports.