The AL West preseason favorite Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim suffered a tragic loss yesterday morning when 22-year-old rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart and two other people were killed in a car accident. Adenhart made it to the hospital before undergoing surgery and dying later that morning.
He and the three other people in the car were hit when a minivan ran a red light through a Fullerton, Cal. intersection, killing the female driver and the male passenger. The fourth member of his group was kept in critical condition at the University of California Irvine Medical Center.
The Angels picked up Adenhart in the 14th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball draft, and he had recently worked his way into the starting rotation. The night before his death he recorded five strikeouts, allowing seven hits and giving up three walks in six scoreless innings of work – hands down his best performance of his young MLB career.
This, among other off-the-field incidents throughout the early 2009 MLB season, has begun to hammer home the point that professional athletes are still just as human as you and me. It is unfortunate to see a young athlete such as Adenhart have his life taken away at no fault of his own, especially so early in his career.
Adenhart was known for being a very well-liked person around the clubhouse, and there is no doubt the Angels organization will have some trouble emotionally recovering from his death.
I hope the death of an up-and-coming rookie pitcher makes athletes like Manny Ramirez and Mark Teixeira realize that there is more to being a professional athlete than the money. Because it can all be taken away in an instant.
The situation as a whole is saddening. After three years in the minor leagues, Adenhart’s dreams were finally becoming reality. He had finally worked his way into the No. 3 position on the pitching staff for a team that many consider a strong contender come fall.
Adenhart had battled his entire career. He was projected as a top-5 draft pick before suffering a serious elbow injury two weeks before the 2004 draft, forcing him to undergo Tommy John surgery – a procedure that is often detrimental to any pitching career. From 2006-08, Adenhart was a non-roster invitee to the Angels major league spring training, before making his first major league regular season appearance during the 2008 season.
Major League Baseball has felt this type of pain multiple times before. In 2002, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile, 33 at the time, was found dead in the team hotel room, just days before his next scheduled start. My intention is not to name off each active MLB player that has died, but more to establish that there is so much people have to be thankful for.
Seeing the life of someone who is only a few years older than myself taken away when he had everything in the world going for him – including an exceptional signing bonus – makes me appreciate the things I take for granted. At the age of 22, Adenhart was the youngest pitcher on any big-league roster.
We often take our youth for granted, thinking that nothing can hurt us or we won’t die until we’ve lived a long and fulfilling life. And while Adenhart’s death is nothing short of tragic, I believe that the Angels will bounce back with class and distinction.
Similar to the Ducks’ football team in fall 2008, which responded to the death of 19-year-old defensive back Todd Doxey and went on to have a very productive season. While the hurt of losing someone close to you never fully goes away, it can undoubtedly bring people closer together.
I have no doubt that the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will react to this terrible accident in a similar fashion. I believe they will grow closer as a team and appreciate the time they have together as professional athletes in an entirely different light.
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