LOS ANGELES (AP)—Hours after pitching his best game yet in the major leagues, Los Angeles Angels rookie Nick Adenhart was killed by a suspected drunk driver, leaving his teammates and fans stunned he won’t be around to fulfill the promise he had shown.
The Angels planned to pay tribute to the 22-year-old pitcher before Friday night’s opener of a three-game series against Boston in Anaheim. They will wear a patch or emblem on their jerseys the rest of the season to honor him.
The team postponed Thursday night’s series finale against Oakland to mourn Adenhart, who was killed along with two other passengers in a car crash early Thursday in neighboring Fullerton.
The car they were riding in was broadsided in an intersection by a minivan that apparently ran a red light, police said.
Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22, of Riverside, was driving on a suspended license because of a previous drunk driving conviction. Preliminary results indicated Gallo’s blood-alcohol level was “substantially over the legal limit” of .08 percent, police Lt. Kevin Hamilton said.
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Gallo was booked into jail on three counts of murder, three counts of vehicular manslaughter, felony hit-and-run and driving under the influence of alcohol. No bail was set.
Fans paid their respects outside Angel Stadium on Thursday as news spread of Adenhart’s death. They placed flowers, baseballs, posters and Rally Monkeys at a makeshift memorial on the pitcher’s mound on the replica brick infield near the stadium gates.
After 17-year-old Kayla McGuire laid her flowers next to the others, she and two friends stood silently staring at the display.
“It’s sad,” she said. “He was a rookie who could have had a really good future.”
Her friend, Rachael Watson, also 17, said, “It was a big shock. He was here pitching yesterday, six amazing innings, had a really good game. Today, he’s gone.”
Chris Burns, 41, who watched Wednesday night’s game on TV, said, “There’s a real sense of loss. To come here and be with others who are grieving at the same time is comforting.”
His 20-year-old son Matt said, “He was only two years older than I am. That puts it in perspective for me.”
A poster read, “No. 34, You are one more Angel in heaven.” Scribbled on a baseball was, “Now you play for another Angels team.”
Inside the clubhouse, the team met privately to remember Adenhart, who made the major league opening day roster for the first time in his career after overcoming a devastating elbow injury and subsequent surgery in 2004.
“A lot of these guys in here have never lost anybody in their family that’s close to them. I hate that this happened, but this is part of life. This is the real deal,” outfielder Torii Hunter said. “That’s why you’ve got to kiss your kids, kiss your family every day when you get up in the morning and before you leave for work.”
Adenhart was killed hours after making his season debut with his father in the stands, throwing six scoreless innings against the Oakland Athletics. The Angels ultimately lost the game, 6-4.
“It is a tragedy that will never be forgotten,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.
Adenhart’s father, Jim, a retired Secret Service agent, walked onto the field in the empty stadium Thursday and spent several moments alone on the pitcher’s mound. Wearing a red sweatshirt in the team’s color, he briefly covered his eyes with one hand.
A minivan is taken away as Fullerton, Calif., police officers survey the scene of a car accident Thursday, April 9, 2009, in Fullerton, Calif., that claimed the life of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two other people.
A minivan is taken away as Ful…
AP - Apr 9, 7:38 pm EDT
Jim Adenhart also spoke during the clubhouse gathering.
“He just wanted to say thank you for the opportunity, thank you for raising his kid in minor league ball on up through the system in the Angels’ organization,” Hunter said.
Adenhart died in surgery at a hospital. Henry Pearson of Manhattan Beach, a 25-year-old passenger in the car, and the driver, 20-year-old Courtney Stewart of Diamond Bar, were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Stewart was a student at nearby Cal State Fullerton, where she was a former cheerleader.
Another passenger, 24-year-old Jon Wilhite of Manhattan Beach, was in critical condition, although he was expected to survive, a hospital spokesman said. Wilhite played baseball from 2004-08 at Cal State Fullerton.
Stewart’s mother said Adenhart and the others had gone dancing at a club about a block away from the crash site.
At the ballpark Wednesday night, Adenhart made just his fourth major league start and left with a 4-0 lead, before the bullpen gave away what would have been his second big league win.
This undated photo provided by Cal State Fullerton on Thursday, April 9, 2009, shows former student athlete Jon Wilhite in his Titan baseball uniform. Wilhite, 24, was in critical condition Thursday, recovering from injuries suffered in the early-morning hit-and-run accident that killed Los Angeles Angels' pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others including Cal State Fullerton student Courtney Stewart, in Fullerton, Calif.
During Thursday’s closed-door session, “we were just kind of reminiscing about what Nick brought to the team, to the clubhouse,” Hunter said.
“He was a very funny kid and he’s going to be missed,” he said. “Every time you come to the stadium and you go in that clubhouse, you’re looking at Nick Adenhart’s locker.”
Adenhart had made a slow climb to reach the majors.
He hurt his pitching elbow two weeks before the June 2004 major league draft, when he was projected as a top-five pick out of Williamsport High in Maryland.
The setback dropped him to the 14th round, where the Angels selected him anyway. He had Tommy John surgery—a reconstructive operation on an elbow ligament—later that month and spent most of next four seasons in the minors.
Adenhart had a 9.00 ERA in three starts for the Angels last season, but Scioscia said last month the right-hander had worked hard over the winter and arrived at spring training with a purpose.
He was made the No. 3 starter as the season began this week because of injuries to John Lackey, Ervin Santana and Kelvim Escobar, all of whom are on the disabled list.
AP Sports Writer Ken Peters in Anaheim, Calif., contributed to this report.
Proteas cruise in Cape Town
10th April 2009:Third One Day International
Cape Town
South Africa 289-6 (A B de Villiers 80, J H Kallis 70, M G Johnson 4-34) v Australia 264-7 (J R Hopes 63 no, C J Ferguson 63)
South Africa beat Australia by 25 runs
South Africa recorded a 25-run win in the third One-Day International against Australia in Cape Town to go 2-1 ahead in the five-match series.
The Proteas managed to post a total of 289-6 that proved just out of reach for the tourists, despite a defiant 63 not out from James Hopes.
The all-rounder belted five fours to equal his career-highest score, though it was not enough to steer his side to an unlikely victory after they had collapsed to 114-5.
Solid contributions from Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers, who shared a century stand for the third wicket, had helped the hosts set their opponents a demanding target.
The pair had come together with the score at 50-2 after Herschelle Gibbs had holed out to deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Nathan Bracken.
Graeme Smith had earlier departed for eight when he became the first of four victims for the impressive Mitchell Johnson.
However, the left-arm paceman received little support from his fellow bowlers, Hopes coming in for the most punishment as his eight wicketless overs went for 64.
Kallis eased his way to 70 off 86 deliveries before giving his wicket away when he pulled a long hop from Brett Geeves straight to Hopes at mid-wicket.
Johnson ended de Villiers' stay at the crease on 80, deceiving the right-hander with a superb slower ball that took a leading edge and looped straight to mid-off.
Despite the loss of two batsmen when well-set the Proteas made full use of their five-over batting powerplay in the closing stages of their innings.
JP Duminy contributed 32 off 26 balls before Albie Morkel (29) and Mark Boucher, who finished unbeaten on 28 from just 15 deliveries, added 53 in a hurry.
Australia's reply suffered an early blow when Brad Haddin was run out with the score on 30. Skipper Ricky Ponting failed to make the most of several let-offs, including being dropped twice in successive balls, as he made only 20.
Spun out
The right-hander chipped a return catch back to Johan Botha, as South Africa's spinners turned the screw in the middle overs.
Roelof van der Merwe picked up 3-37 off his 10 overs while Duminy's occasional off-spin claimed the key wicket of David Hussey (20).
Callum Ferguson's 63 off 68 balls kept Australia just about alive, Hopes helping him add 97 before a floodlight failure forced a stoppage in play.
The game was eventually able to get back underway and South Africa comfortably held on to clinch a crucial victory to go ahead in the series ahead of Monday's fourth ODI.
KP makes Wisden XI
10th April 2009:Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has been named in Wisden's first ever Test match Dream XI.
The Hampshire star, who averages 51.09 with the bat at Test level, is the only England player to make the grade, though, slotting in at number five.
India's Virender Sehwag and South Africa captain Graeme Smith are the openers followed by Australia skipper Ricky Ponting at number three.
India's master batsman Sachin Tendulkar is at number four followed by Pietersen and West Indies lynchpin Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the wicketkeeper, while India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, Australia left-arm seamer Mitchell Johnson, South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn and India's Zaheer Khan make up the tail.
Sehwag is not only number one by virtue of his position in the batting order but for good measure is identified as the sixth player to be recognised as the Leading Cricketer in the World.
Campbell leads, Woods lurking at Day 2 of Masters
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP)—Larry Mize has teed off in the first group at Augusta National, quickly suffering a setback in his hopes of putting up another surprising score in the second round of the Masters.
The 50-year-old Mize, who won the Masters in 1987 and shot a 5-under-par 67 in the opening round, started Friday’s play with a double-bogey 6 at the first hole.
Chad Campbell takes the lead into second round after the best start in Masters history. He birdied the first five holes Thursday on his way to a 65. Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan are both one stroke back after opening with 66s.
Tiger Woods is five strokes off the lead in the quest for his fifth green jacket. Expect lots of nostalgia on the course today as Gary Player and Fuzzy Zoeller play the Masters for the final time.
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