Kevin Hickey, who lived out a major league storybook dream of pitching for his hometown Chicago White Sox and later served as their batting practice pitcher, died Wednesday morning, team sources said.

Hickey, 56, was found unresponsive in the team hotel in Dallas before the White Sox's season opener against the Texas Rangers. After several days in a Dallas hospital, he was transported to Rush University Medical Center in Chicago but never responded.

It's more fun to be a victim

There will never be an effective vaccine. I'll never get one anyway.