The widow of Steve Bechler plans to sue the manufacturer of a dietary supplement the Baltimore Orioles pitcher was believed to be taking before his death.

Memorial service scheduled

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A memorial service for Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler will be held on March 8 at the high school he attended in Oregon. The service will take place in the auditorium of South Medford High School in Medford, Ore. Bechler died of heatstroke on Feb. 17, one day after collapsing during a spring training workout. He is survived by his wife, Kiley, who is expecting a child in April. A fund has been created to benefit Kiley Bechler. Donations can be made to: The Steve Bechler Memorial Account, U.S. Bank, 131 East Main St., Medford, Ore. 97501. -- The Associated Press

Bechler, 23, died Feb. 17 from heatstroke after collapsing during a workout at training camp. In his preliminary autopsy report, Broward County chief medical examiner Dr. Joshua Perper linked Bechler's death to a diet supplement that contains ephedra.

A bottle of Xenadrine RFA-1, an over-the-counter weight-loss product containing ephedra, was found in Bechler's locker after he collapsed.

"Our position very clearly is that Steve Bechler is dead, and that ephedra killed him," David Meiselman, the lawyer for Kiley Bechler, told The Washington Post on Monday. "We intend to get this product off the shelves and put the manufacturer out of business. … I am all for free enterprise, but a company that knowingly sells a product that kills people is no longer entrepreneurial, but predatory."

Perper plans to release the final toxicology report in about two weeks.

"We will wait for the toxicology report to come back, do our homework, then go hunting for the company that distributes this drug,'' Meiselman said. "This drug is a killer. Our real concern is to get this poison off the shelves.''

Cytodyne Technologies of Manasquan, N.J., the supplement's manufacturer, said it was "reckless and irresponsible for an attorney to prematurely place blame or deflect responsibility to others for the events leading up to Mr. Bechler's death.''

"It is clear that this attorney is making these statements without the benefit of any toxicology results,'' the company said in a statement. "It's unfortunate that this attorney as chosen to ignore the fact that Mr. Bechler had a number of serious medical conditions including liver disease, hypertension, an enlarged heart, and history of heat-related illnesses.''

Meiselman said the company's stance was predictable.

"The arrogance of this company is beyond belief,'' he said. "It's never their fault, and in the meantime, people are dying. It's important to note that three days before his death, Steve Bechler passed a physical exam to play baseball.''

Perper said Tuesday that Bechler was overweight, had borderline high blood pressure and an enlarged heart. The doctor also said that two years ago, Bechler was diagnosed with an abnormal liver, a finding confirmed during the autopsy. Perper also noted there was very little solid food in Bechler's digestive tract.

In its statement, Cytodyne said, "Xenadrine, which has been used by well over 20 million people in the U.S. alone, has a long history of safe use.''

Orioles to announce fund

The Orioles in the next day or so are expected to announce the establishment of a Steve Bechler Memorial Fund. Proceeds will support his widow, Kiley Bechler. Club owner Peter Angelos already has pledged a significant contribution to Kiley Bechler, who might not qualify for baseball's life insurance premium because her husband had only 27 days of major-league service time. Mike Flanagan, former Orioles pitcher now the club's executive director of baseball operations, told the Baltimore Sun several other teams have offered to donate money. "One of the things she said at his deathbed, was, 'I'm not ready to be a single mom, and I wanted you to see this baby born,' " Flanagan told the paper. "I think it's also part of the reason she's really wanted to keep a record of everything that transpired. Newspaper articles, those kinds of things. "She said over and over to me, 'I want to be able to tell her what her daddy was all about, what he went through and how much they cared about him.' " -- ESPN.com news services

Bottles of Xenadrine RFA-1 contain a warning label saying the consumer should consult a doctor before using it "if you are at risk ... for heart disease, high blood pressure, recurrent headaches, liver, thyroid or psychiatric disease.''

The Washington Post first reported Meiselman's intent to sue Cytodyne. The newspaper also reported in its Wednesday editions that the Orioles denied suggestions made by Cytodyne that the team was negligent in allowing Bechler on the practice field.

"Any suggestion that the Orioles have any responsibility for Steve Bechler's tragic death," said Russell Smouse, the Orioles' general legal counsel, "is outrageous and absolutely without foundation."

Baseball players' association head Donald Fehr said Tuesday in Surprise, Ariz., that players shouldn't be held to a different standard than the general public when it comes to ephedra use. The substance, which is available over the counter, is banned by the NFL, NCAA and International Olympic Committee.

"If it should be prohibited, then it should be prohibited in the population,'' he said. "You shouldn't hold a smaller percentage of the population to a higher standard. Maybe it's time for the FDA to be looking into this one, first. We haven't even got information back from the autopsy.''

Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, on Monday renewed its call for a ban on the use of ephedra. Consumers Union is asking the Food and Drug Administration and major league baseball to prohibit the use of ephedra.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.