Stargate Centurion
09-04-2009, 17:58
From the LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-nick-adenhart-killed10-2009apr10,0,5362563.story):
Angels' pitcher Nick Adenhart was among the three killed in a crash in Fullerton when a driver ran a red light, an associate of the rookie player said this morning. The crash occurred only hours after the 22-year-old appeared in Wednesday night's Angels game.
The accident occurred shortly after midnight at the intersection of Orangethorpe Avenue and Lemon Street in Fullerton, said Lt. Craig Brower of the Fullerton Police Department.
Several witnesses told police the driver of a red minivan ran a red light at the intersection, hitting a silver Mitsubishi carrying four passengers. Two people in the Mitsubishi were pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, authorities said. Two others also in the Mitsubishi were taken to a nearby hospital, where one was later pronounced dead, Brower said.
The driver of the minivan fled on foot, but police found him about a mile away and took him into custody on suspicion of hit-and-run, Brower said. Further charges are pending as the investigation continues, he said.
I'm shocked and stunned. The first thing that I'm thinking of is thank god they caught him. Hit-and-run accidents are one of the few things that really scare me - the thought that someone will randomly slam into you when you're driving is, well, frightening. Here's a video that shows the extent of the crash (http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/local/Angels_Pitcher_Nick_Adenhart_Dies_Car_Crash_20090409). It's quite extensive and the thought that this could happen to just about anyone is chilling.
The second thing I think about is how terrible it is that someone like Adenhart died. Beyond the fact that he was just 22, he was also someone with enormous potential - both in baseball, and in life. Baseball America ranked (http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/organization-top-10-prospects/2009/267257.html) as the best prospect in the Angels' organization and mlb.com had him (http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/minorleagues/prospects/y2009/profile.jsp?t=p_top&pid=444440) as one of the top fifty young players coming up. From the latter link, one thing stands out to me:
He said it: "I let down the team first. You always want to go out and prove yourself to your teammates and your manager and your coaches. I was a disappointment to myself, also. Before the game you visualize yourself going out, having a great day and how you prepare for the day, but I just have to bounce back." -- Adenhart on his big-league debut
That's a kid with humility and the courage to stand up for his actions. This article (http://www.sgvtribune.com/angels/ci_12095433) from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune the day before his death emphasizes that:
ANAHEIM - This time, Nick Adenhart plans to focus all of his aggression toward his opponent. He doesn't expect to be fighting himself anymore.
...
"One of the things we talked about last year after my first start was just being able to make an adjustment," Adenhart said. "When you adrenaline is pumping that hard, I've described it as not being able to feel my body.
"You make an adjustment and things just snowball, get worse and you end up trying that much harder."
Adenhart's new outlook has been apparent. He was 3-0 with a 3.12 ERA in a team-leading 26 Cactus League innings.
He was definitely one of the few baseball players who was willing to put into the work that could make him improve. In fact, last night was the first time that Adenhart had pitched this year and he was dynamic (http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090408&content_id=4170072&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=ana), pitching six shut-out innings in his first major league start. Referencing his death, a scout in the Orioles administration (Adenhart was from Maryland) stated today (http://masnsports.com/2009/04/tragic-news.html):
He was just a great kid," said Albany, who attended the same game at Williamsport that provided my first chance to meet Adenhart. "He was a very good teammate. He always cared about the team, always put the team ahead of himself. Just a great kid. Humble. He had ups and downs in his life after the Tommy John surgery, but he always kept his focus. He was a can't-miss guy.
Anyway, enough of the link-spam (and sorry, but I felt that it was important to explain what kind of person Adenhart was). What are your opinions on hit-and-run accidents? Does the thought of being hit randomly ever make you drive a little more cautiously? Do you think that something should be done regarding hit-and-run accidents or drunk driving?
Angels' pitcher Nick Adenhart was among the three killed in a crash in Fullerton when a driver ran a red light, an associate of the rookie player said this morning. The crash occurred only hours after the 22-year-old appeared in Wednesday night's Angels game.
The accident occurred shortly after midnight at the intersection of Orangethorpe Avenue and Lemon Street in Fullerton, said Lt. Craig Brower of the Fullerton Police Department.
Several witnesses told police the driver of a red minivan ran a red light at the intersection, hitting a silver Mitsubishi carrying four passengers. Two people in the Mitsubishi were pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, authorities said. Two others also in the Mitsubishi were taken to a nearby hospital, where one was later pronounced dead, Brower said.
The driver of the minivan fled on foot, but police found him about a mile away and took him into custody on suspicion of hit-and-run, Brower said. Further charges are pending as the investigation continues, he said.
I'm shocked and stunned. The first thing that I'm thinking of is thank god they caught him. Hit-and-run accidents are one of the few things that really scare me - the thought that someone will randomly slam into you when you're driving is, well, frightening. Here's a video that shows the extent of the crash (http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/local/Angels_Pitcher_Nick_Adenhart_Dies_Car_Crash_20090409). It's quite extensive and the thought that this could happen to just about anyone is chilling.
The second thing I think about is how terrible it is that someone like Adenhart died. Beyond the fact that he was just 22, he was also someone with enormous potential - both in baseball, and in life. Baseball America ranked (http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/organization-top-10-prospects/2009/267257.html) as the best prospect in the Angels' organization and mlb.com had him (http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/minorleagues/prospects/y2009/profile.jsp?t=p_top&pid=444440) as one of the top fifty young players coming up. From the latter link, one thing stands out to me:
He said it: "I let down the team first. You always want to go out and prove yourself to your teammates and your manager and your coaches. I was a disappointment to myself, also. Before the game you visualize yourself going out, having a great day and how you prepare for the day, but I just have to bounce back." -- Adenhart on his big-league debut
That's a kid with humility and the courage to stand up for his actions. This article (http://www.sgvtribune.com/angels/ci_12095433) from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune the day before his death emphasizes that:
ANAHEIM - This time, Nick Adenhart plans to focus all of his aggression toward his opponent. He doesn't expect to be fighting himself anymore.
...
"One of the things we talked about last year after my first start was just being able to make an adjustment," Adenhart said. "When you adrenaline is pumping that hard, I've described it as not being able to feel my body.
"You make an adjustment and things just snowball, get worse and you end up trying that much harder."
Adenhart's new outlook has been apparent. He was 3-0 with a 3.12 ERA in a team-leading 26 Cactus League innings.
He was definitely one of the few baseball players who was willing to put into the work that could make him improve. In fact, last night was the first time that Adenhart had pitched this year and he was dynamic (http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090408&content_id=4170072&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=ana), pitching six shut-out innings in his first major league start. Referencing his death, a scout in the Orioles administration (Adenhart was from Maryland) stated today (http://masnsports.com/2009/04/tragic-news.html):
He was just a great kid," said Albany, who attended the same game at Williamsport that provided my first chance to meet Adenhart. "He was a very good teammate. He always cared about the team, always put the team ahead of himself. Just a great kid. Humble. He had ups and downs in his life after the Tommy John surgery, but he always kept his focus. He was a can't-miss guy.
Anyway, enough of the link-spam (and sorry, but I felt that it was important to explain what kind of person Adenhart was). What are your opinions on hit-and-run accidents? Does the thought of being hit randomly ever make you drive a little more cautiously? Do you think that something should be done regarding hit-and-run accidents or drunk driving?