Longtime Los Angeles Times sportswriter Mike Penner, who drew international attention when he announced he was transsexual, has died, the paper announced Saturday.   

The 52-year-old Penner was pronounced dead Friday night at Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, a Los Angeles County Department of Coroner's official told The Times in a story reported on its Web site.   

The cause of death has not been determined, but suicide is suspected, The Times reported.   

In a 2007 first-person story headlined, "Old Mike, New Christine,'' Penner wrote, "I am a transsexual sportswriter. It has taken more than 40 years, a million tears and hundreds of hours of soul-wrenching therapy for me to work up the courage to type those words. I realize many readers and colleagues and friends will be shocked to read them.   

"That's OK. I understand that I am not the only one in transition as I move from Mike to Christine. Everyone who knows me and my work will be transitioning as well. That will take time. And that's all right. To borrow a piece of well-worn sports parlance, we will take it one day at a time.''   

Penner continued to write the "Totally Random'' column for The Times sports section under the new byline Christine Daniels and a blog, "Woman in Progress,'' for the paper's Web site about his transition from a man to a woman.   

Daniel was his middle name at birth.   

Reaction was generally positive, with The Times reporting that she had received 538 e-mails by the end of the day the story was published. Only two were negative.   

"Writing that piece, which I didn't initially want to write, ended up becoming one of the best things I have ever done," Daniels told Times media columnist James Rainey. "And a day I dreaded all my life has ended up being one of the best days I've ever had."   

A transsexual, unlike a transvestite, undergoes medical procedures to change from one sex to the other, but in October 2008, he returned to writing under his birth name.   

Penner was born Oct. 10, 1957, in Inglewood and graduated from Western High School in Anaheim and Cal State Fullerton. He began his career with the Anaheim Bulletin, where he was a sports reporter and sports editor.  He joined The Times' Orange County Edition in 1983 as a staff writer, covering high school sports.   

Penner had covered the California Angels, tennis, the Olympics and soccer for The Times and been a columnist for its Orange County edition.   

"Mike was a first-rate journalist, a valued member of our staff for 25 years and we will miss him,'' said Times editor Russ Stanton. "He respected our readers a great deal, enough to share with them his very personal journey.''   

The paper's sports editor, Mike James, called Penner "one of the most talented writers I've ever worked with, capable of reporting on any number of topics with great wit and style.   

"He was a very gentle man who will be greatly missed,'' James said. "This is a tragic ending and a difficult time for all of us who knew him.''   

Penner was especially fond of soccer, both as a spectator and participant. He organized a team mainly of sports reporters and editors, Scribes FC, which won championships in Monterey Park, Long Beach and Placentia, according to Scott French, a teammate and former sports reporter for the Press- Telegram.   

Penner played central defender, wearing the No. 6 because it was worn by his favorite player from his favorite team, Tony Adams, a central defender for England's Arsenal FC.   

"Mike was the heart of that team,'' French said.   

Penner was also a fan of punk and post-punk music and the English post- punk band Joy Division, French said.   

Penner is survived by his brother, John, a copy editor at The Times, and his former wife, Lisa Dillman, a Los Angeles Times sports reporter, according to The Times.   

Funeral arrangements are pending.