I still remember where I was when I heard the news that Len Bias had died. I had gone to a Terps game the year before and saw him throw down a tomahawk dunk that I thought was the coolest thing ever. When Larry Bird said "This is the cruelest thing ever", I totally agreed. It was hard to feel the same sympathy when it came out that Lenny OD'd on cocaine, but I was still struck by the tragedy of it.
I had the same haunting feeling when I learned that Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart had been killed in a car crash just a few hours after pitching 6 shutout innings against the A's. Two of his friends were also killed and another one was seriously injured. It sounds like some moron with a suspended license got himself liquored up, ran a red light and snuffed out 3 promising lives.
Here was a young man who was just starting to achieve one his ultimate dreams- establishing himself as a major league pitcher. He'd had a couple of appearances with the Angels last year, but due to his hard work and injuries to his teammates he was the #3 pitcher for one of the best teams in baseball.
His dad had flown out from Maryland to watch his son pitch. This is a parent's ultimate nightmare- I can't even imagine what he must be feeling. Maybe there is a small comfort in the fact that he got to see his son live out his dream, but in many ways that just makes it even more painful.
It is just one more reminder that there will never be a better time than right now to give an extra hug to the people you love.
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