Former Blue Jays pitcher Ted Lilly facing insurance fraud charges

We all have this misconception that just because the ballplayers we cover and idolize manage to make millions of dollars, that they would seemingly be set when it comes to money. Apparently that wasn’t the case for former Blue Jays pitcher Ted Lilly.

According to the The Tribune of San Luis Obispo, CA, Lilly has been charged with three felony charges of insurance fraud. What makes it sadder is that the alleged fraud revolves around a claim for $4600, which is .0058% of the $80 million that Lilly earned during the course of his 15-year career.

According to the report, the charged stem from a sting operation that has resulted in over 200 charges filed. In the complaint, Lilly is accused of getting an estimate on damage to a recreational vehicle, then purchasing the insurance days later and filing a claim as though the damage had occurred after the new policy went into play. Unfortunately for Lilly, claim estimated are logged in a database where insurance companies can verify their validity.

The former big league lefty played 15 years in Major League Baseball, seeing time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics, and Montreal Expos. He last pitched during the 2013 season, and posted a lifetime record of 130-113 with a 4.14 ERA, and a 7.6 K/9 ratio.

Lilly was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2004 through 2006 seasons, with Lilly making the first of his two All-Star appearances during his first season in Toronto. Overall, his stay with the Blue Jays was mostly uneventful with the lefty accumulating 37 wins against 34 losses with a 4.52 ERA. However, his tenure with the Jays was perhaps more memorable for his tiff with then manager (and coincidentally current manager) John Gibbons.

Needless to say, once a knucklehead, always a knucklehead.

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