days later at the age of 37. A memorial service was held for him on December 1, and his remains were cremated and scattered at V. J. Keefe Memorial Stadium and Privateer Park. Friend Josh Buchholz recalled that the Dodgers had Traxler in a treatment program at one time. "It was not much else besides beer, just years and years of lifestyle," Buchholz said. "Brian had his demons, and they crept in." Personal life Traxler met his wife, Gabriela “Gabby” Aguayo, in 1989 while he was playing for the Missions. She was a souvenir seller at V. J. Keefe Memorial Stadium. They were married on February 3, 1990. A woman who "loved baseball" by her own admission, she would hit him ground balls and pitch batting practice for him during his offseason workouts. The couple had one daughter, Ashley. Over the winter in 1996–97, the couple separated for what Costello calls "family reasons." "His love was for the game,” Gabby explained. “Without the game, he wouldn’t have been who he was. It’s a very tough lifestyle; I admire families that can stay with it. But we made the decision together. We remained very good friends and I don’t regret it.” They officially divorced in 1999. Towards the end of Brian's life, Gabby came to visit him several times while he was ill in the hospital. Ashley inherited her parents' love of sports, as she went on to play fastpitch softball. Over the course of his career, Traxler was always a popular player with the fans. He never turned down autograph requests, waiting until lines were empty before he stopped signing. He was "gregarious and approachable, the type of player that fans of all stripes could relate to," according to the Home News Tribune. Off the field, he was a frequent partier who always enjoyed the nightlife. "I like to have a few beers once in a while and I eat what I want to eat," he described himself once, though baseball historian Frank Russo observed that he engaged in "heavy beer consumption". Sources External links Baseball Almanac The Baseball Gauge Venezuela Winter League Former RedHawks star Brian Traxler dies at 37 Dodger Thoughts: One Hit … And Much More 1967 births 2004 deaths Albuquerque Dukes players Alcohol-related deaths in Texas American expatriate baseball players in Japan American expatriate baseball players in Taiwan Baseball players from Illinois Deaths from liver disease