Nick Adenhart, 1986-2009

by John Sickels on Apr 9, 2009 12:10 PM EDT

Angels rookie Nick Adenhart was killed in a car accident last night after the game. More here.

Our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones. They are likely in shock right now. The pain will come later. Whatever your spiritual or religious beliefs, please send some good thoughts their way. They will need them.

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so messed up

22 years old is way too young to have your life just stolen away like that. My prayers go out to his family. RIP

by was385 on Apr 9, 2009 12:14 PM EDT reply actions

Tragic story

It’s such a shame to see a life ended so young.

by OkayJay81 on Apr 9, 2009 12:18 PM EDT reply actions

Beyond sad

It’s one of those things that is so hard to comprehend. 22 years old is just way too young to die and it really illustrates the whole idea of “here today, gone tomorrow.” Adenhart pitched 6 scoreless last night.

Just beyond sad, really.

by rdf8585 on Apr 9, 2009 12:22 PM EDT reply actions

RIP Nick

by Lunkwill Fook on Apr 9, 2009 12:23 PM EDT reply actions

+1

Very, very sad.

by Fanon on Apr 9, 2009 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

The 2008 Rogelio Moret League Fantasy Baseball Champions!

by The Congo Hammer on Apr 9, 2009 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

by David Tokarz on Apr 9, 2009 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions

wow just unbelievable. RIP Nick.

by henwo on Apr 9, 2009 12:32 PM EDT reply actions

Wow....

I am completely shocked. I thought he was a great darkhorse candidate for ROY and was looking forward to him pitching all year for the Angels and doing something similar to what Jair Jurgens did last year for the Braves (but with more strikeouts).

Condolences to his family, friends, and teammates past and present.

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Apr 9, 2009 12:35 PM EDT reply actions

So Sad

I got to meet Nick two years ago when he was in Cedar Rapids. I took a youth team there and we got to tour the field and the clubhouse. He was the one I was telling all my players to get an autograph from. Was a great kid, very nice to all our players.

RIP Nick.

Baseball Instructor - www.frozenropes.com

by HuskerBob on Apr 9, 2009 12:38 PM EDT reply actions

This is really sad.

I am kind of in shock and I know his family is right now.

by daveh33 on Apr 9, 2009 12:44 PM EDT reply actions

Shocking indeed

I hate the Angels, but I’d never wish this on anyone. I assume today’s game is off.

I really hope, not very optimistically, that this was not alcohol-related.

So depressing. What do you say to a family, or for that matter a team, when their 22-year-old just vanishes from the earth overnight?

Many years from now, when his name's recalled
Everyone will say, "He should have passed the ball"
-- Al Stewart, "Football Hero"

by PaulThomas on Apr 9, 2009 1:00 PM EDT reply actions

booze

It sounds like the guy who hit him was drunk. He fled the scene, but the cops caught him later.

by John Sickels on Apr 9, 2009 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Good

I’m not typically a vindictive person, but I’ll make an exception for drunk drivers. I hope the team presses charges.

Many years from now, when his name's recalled
Everyone will say, "He should have passed the ball"
-- Al Stewart, "Football Hero"

by PaulThomas on Apr 9, 2009 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions

agree

I agree. I’m not exactly a really stringent “throw away the key” type….but drunk drivers I make an exception for. I have NO tolerance for that at all.

by John Sickels on Apr 9, 2009 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

Reportedly this was the drivers second DUI offense, assuming of course he was in fact drunk.

Who loves orange soda?

by Kenan and Kel on Apr 9, 2009 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Apparently, he was drunk AND his license was suspended.

“The minivan driver fled the crash scene on foot and was captured a half-hour later. Police identified him as Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22, of Riverside, and said he had a suspended license because of a previous drunken driving conviction.

Preliminary results indicated Gallo’s blood-alcohol level was above the legal limit, police Lt. Kevin Hamilton said, adding that Gallo could face charges including vehicular manslaughter or possibly murder."

by Lunkwill Fook on Apr 9, 2009 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions

apparently one of the passangers in his car stayed behind at the scene.

by Darryl P on Apr 9, 2009 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions

baseball should have a day of silence tomorrow for this… a promising young pitcher with a nice looking career and life ahead of him. terrible. It just seems alot more real if you kept an eye on his start last night. I was having a great day. This kills it. I just feel awful for his family and friends.

by kershaw_equals_stud on Apr 9, 2009 1:05 PM EDT reply actions

Watched him pitch last night

This is so upsetting. I feel sucker-punched right now. Last night Adenhart looked like a kid who was really improving and gaining confidence, like a kid with a lot to look forward to. This is tragic, and not just in a reminds-you-of-your-own-mortality way. This is truly tragic and senseless and just… really sad. I just feel really sad.

RIP

by D O on Apr 9, 2009 1:09 PM EDT reply actions

I keep looking for something that says this is a misunderstanding, or some kind of bad joke… it’s bad enough when someone like Hancock pays the price for their own bad decision, but it doesn’t sound like Adenhart did anything wrong. He, and those he was with, were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I wish I had more words than “senseless and tragic,” but that’s all I can think of right now.

I was just starting to believe that he would be a good MLB #2, too. RIP Nick.

I'm Matt (expletive) Bush!

by delomir on Apr 9, 2009 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions

RIP nick

4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42

by fischisgod on Apr 9, 2009 1:16 PM EDT reply actions

RIP NIck

..what could’ve been. =/

by schmosterballs92 on Apr 9, 2009 1:33 PM EDT reply actions

My paryers to his family and freinds.

"Their Triple-A rotation, led by Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson, could be better than some big-league rotations; Michael Ynoa is the best Latin American prospect of the decade; 2008 draftees Jemile Weeks and Rashun Dixon bring much-needed tools to an advanced group of hitters." - BaseballProspectus.com

by Syphon on Apr 9, 2009 2:35 PM EDT reply actions

Ugh

Why do the drunk drivers always get out of these accidents unscathed? For once I’d like to see the victims come out unscathed and the drunk driver who caused the whole thing reap the consequences of his/her actions.

by EugeneK on Apr 9, 2009 3:34 PM EDT reply actions

I'm sure they do...

…it’s just that the media are more concerned with flashy news items instead of an epidemic of drunk driving in this country which has gone largely unnoticed despite its prevalence. I hope that the fact that alcohol was involved isn’t hidden, even if one of the deceased is also found to have been drinking. This is a problem and perhaps the fact that someone of Adenhart’s fame is the victim will get this problem some attention…

by whonichol on Apr 9, 2009 8:31 PM EDT up reply actions

This whole situation is just beyond sad.

Anytime a life is lost its a tragedy, but when I woke up this morning and the very first thing I saw was an announcement about the accident I was instantly sick to my stomach. I just watched Nick shut down my A’s with some filthy stuff last night, and was thinking “wow, another stud pitcher the A’s are going to have to face several times over the next several years” and then this. My thoughts and prayers go out to his loved one’s and to the Angels organization.

by JPShark on Apr 9, 2009 4:59 PM EDT reply actions