Mike Payne

Michael Earl Payne
Born: Nov. 15, 1961 in Woonsocket, RI
Died: Aug. 4, 2002 in Dunnellon, Fla.
Debut: 1984 | Pos: P
Ht: 5'11" | Wt: 165 | B: R | T: R

Yrs	G	IP	W	L	Sv	SO	ERA
1	3	5.2	0	1	0	3	6.35

>> Visit the Mike Payne biography on Baseball Almanac for complete statistics.

Mike Payne, a former pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, died on August 4, 2002, at the age of 40. He had been battling Eastern equine encephalitis, a virus found in horses and birds throughout Florida but a rarity in humans.

Reports said he had contracted the disease from mosquito bites he had received while working in his yard. He was a high school baseball coach at the time he contracted the illness.

Payne pitched 5.2 innings for the Atlanta Braves in 1984 and posted a 6.35 ERA.